Diamonds are forever
by OhPenelope5446
Summary: A modern day arranged marriage to merge the Cullen and Swan family businesses throws Edward and Bella's lives into chaos. Can E&B find love once they're forced together? Lemons eventually. AU
1. Chapter 1 Girl's worst enemy

**A/N Hi! I'm starting a new fic! Hope you like! I've been working on this since beginning of November and have bugged 84Gemma for just as long with it! I'm finally posting it! I hope you enjoy! **

**Mucho gracious to my beta h00r coachlady12 who recently had a bday and needs spankings just fyi! but I lubs her… Please go check out her stories on her ff site they are amazing! She has a finished one Dangerous Corporate Liaisons and a WIP Guarding Bella Swan. Both awesome so go now! 2113307/coachlady1**

**Also need to thank: 84Gemma and ChiTwiGal for looking over this chappy for me! I love you both so much! **

**Check out on my profile for the lovely polyvore that 84Gemma did for the fic! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not a single thing. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. There is no copyright infringement intended.**

BPOV

"You know you don't have to do this Bella."

I looked up into the sullen eyes of my father. Although I could tell he was telling the truth I also knew that this was the easiest way to give everyone exactly what they wanted—my dad, the knowledge that I'd be secure, the Cullens, the knowledge that their empire would stay intact and I would get Edward.

"I know, Dad. I know. But it's the best way and I'm okay with this." I took one final breath and signed on the line on the last page of the million-page contract. It felt like I had just signed my life away and in a sense, I had.

"Well, that's that then," my dad said standing and shaking hands with the lawyers. We all exited the conference room, my dad talking aimlessly as he escorted me out into the lobby.

"You did good, kid."

I nodded, swallowing the lump that was suddenly in my throat. My hands were unexpectedly clammy and my heart began to race.

"Bella, are you okay? Do you need to sit down?" my father inquired. He sounded like he was miles away.

"I'm fine, Dad. I… I just need some fresh air is all."

"Okay, well, you go ahead to the car then. It should be out front. I'll be out in just a moment. I need to find and speak with Carlisle to let him know all is well and then we can go home alright?" I nodded my agreement.

I moved out onto the steps of the enormous Swan/Cullen office building attempting to catch my breath. Why was I suddenly feeling so nervous about all this? I had made up my mind months, even years, ago that this was what was best for everyone. Wasn't it? I leaned against one of the columns and closed my eyes. My mind began to swirl with fantasies of a certain green-eyed man. Soon enough I felt better and could breathe again.

I opened my eyes and looked around. The steps were busy with people leaving. I glanced at my watch and noticed it was almost twelve. Lunch time. I stood for a moment longer just watching people go about their business not noticing that I existed. I kind of liked it.

As I turned to head toward the awaiting car, I spotted a familiar mop of auburn hair. His back was to me and although I hadn't seen him in… six years, I would recognize him anywhere. As I was admiring the view and contemplating going over to say hello, I saw arms suddenly fly around his neck and Edward swing backward from the attack. As he turned I saw that those arms belonged to a voluptuous blond who was currently taking up residence on Edward's neck, cheek, then his mouth.

My heart plummeted to my stomach and my mind was instantly taken back to a similar scenario that happened almost six years ago.

"Oh no, no, no." I closed my eyes and gripped the side of the building as if somehow it would swallow me whole.

"Bella!" I heard the voice beside me but I couldn't see the face it belonged to.

"Bella, are you okay? Bella!" My world was spinning and my ears were ringing, and as the blackness engulfed me my mind reeled with questions.

Had I really just agreed to marry this man, just mere moments before? This man who had rejected me my entire life and who was currently too enraptured by a slut to notice my existence? What had I been thinking?

They say that diamonds are a girl's best friend, but to me they were my worst enemy.

**A/N Ok let me know what you think. Love it? Hate it? *muah***


	2. Chapter 2 Man's best friend

**A/N Here's the next chapter! Enjoy. Please check out my thanks at the end of the chapter! **

**Xxo to all those who helped! You know that I love you and I couldn't do it without you. ;)**

**All grammar mistakes are my own… I like to tinker 0_o**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not a single thing. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. There is no copyright infringement intended.**

EPOV

"You've got to be kidding me!" I exclaimed, pulling at my hair.

"No, son, I can assure you that I am far from kidding," my father exclaimed as I began pacing around his office. His office was immaculate, not a paper out of place. Two leather chairs sat side by side in front of his big oak desk, while silver picture frames of past family events lined the walls behind. "Why are you surprised, Edward? You've known this was going to happen since you were fourteen."

"Yes, you told me, but I always assumed it wouldn't really happen or it was some twisted joke you and Mom were pulling." I sighed plopping down into one of his leather armchairs.

"No, this isn't a joke. If you want to take over the family business, you'll have to marry Isabella."

"It doesn't make any sense," I huffed leaning back, rubbing my hands over my face.

"What doesn't?"

"Why do I have to get married to her in order to head the family business?"

"Edward, you know why." He sighed in frustration, stood up, and walked over to sit on the edge of his desk. "Charlie is the biggest diamond supplier in the country. He gives us an excellent deal that he refuses to give to other companies, giving us the competitive advantage with our prices. He does this because he sees us as family. If we were to lose this deal with him, we'd lose a substantial market share and I'm not sure our business could survive. I'm not about to do that. This is what he's requested of us to continue the contract we've had indefinitely, so this is what we've agreed to do."

"Dad, why would a father want his only daughter to be signed over like property for a business deal? Why wouldn't he want her to wait and marry someone for love?"

"That's a question only Charlie can answer."

"No, I won't do it and there's nothing you can do to make me," I stated shaking my head.

"Really? So, you would not only upset your family, but put yourself out of a job in the process? How long have you been planning to take over the business, Edward?" I looked down at my hands. We both knew the answer. "This isn't really a decision you need to make lightly. If you decide not to go through with it think of the personal ramifications as well."

"What about Kate?" I inquired.

"What about her?" He sighed. "We warned you not to get involved with her."

"Oh, that's rich, Dad. Yeah, let me be single until you and mom decide to play your games. Maybe I'll just drop her an email and tell her to fuck off!" With that he raised his eyebrow. He knew that Kate and I weren't serious and that if I had a choice I probably would do just that. "Anyway, why does Charlie suddenly care so much now about her financial stability?"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss any of this with you." He looked over at me, the look effectively ending our conversation. "Make sure you're at the lawyer's office by noon tomorrow to sign the papers."

I got up and headed out of the room, my mind reeling with all the information I'd been given.

I couldn't believe that I was really going to have to marry Isabella. It's not like I didn't like her or thought she was unattractive. She was actually quite beautiful, inside and out.

The last time I'd seen her was six years ago at my high school graduation party. Remembering that night I inwardly cringed.

I pulled up to Trump Tower and left my car with the valet. Normally, I would park it myself since it was my baby, but I couldn't bring myself to care at the moment. I needed a plan. I was racking my brain with reasons why Charlie would pawn Isabella off like this.

As soon as I entered my penthouse condo on the eighty-ninth floor, my nose was instantly assaulted with smells of someone cooking.

"What the hell?" I exclaimed wandering toward the kitchen, wondering who could be in my apartment.

"Hi, honey! You're home!" Kate came out in nothing but an apron and instantly wrapped her arms around me.

"Kate, how the fuck did you get into my apartment?" I uttered, completely shocked.

"You gave me a key, silly," she said looking up at me with a pouty smile.

"What are you talking about? I never gave you a key."

"Yes, you did. The other night after your work party you said you wanted me to be able to come and go as I pleased and gave me a key." I'd been pretty tanked after that party but I doubted that I would give her a key.

"Kate, what are you doing here?" I sighed.

"I'm here to surprise you, of course." She ran her hands up along my sides then up my chest, resting at the back of my neck. She pulled me forward and attempted to kiss me but I turned my head at the last second, her sloppy kiss landing on my cheek.

"You do realize I had a meeting with my father today?" I replied pulling out of her grasp and sitting down on the couch.

"Yes, that's why I thought I'd come over and surprise you," she said straddling my lap. I grunted when she landed on me hard.

"Kate, what I said last night still stands. I've got to be serious about this."

"Shhh, I know. I know." And with that she dropped to her knees. She pressed her hand against my groin and rubbed me through my pants.

"Kate, what are you doing?" I gulped.

"Making you feel better. Now, relax." I gasped as she unzipped my pants and pulled me out. After a few strokes I was hard. I knew it wasn't right to have her suck me off when I was trying to break up with her, but she offered and I wasn't going to turn her down.

Kate was never good at giving head but it was enough to get me off. As she moaned and groaned around my dick, I thought of anything else but her sloppy ministrations on my groin. Eventually, she got a good enough rhythm down that I was able to come. I grunted as she released my cock, glad that she'd swallowed and I didn't have to clean up.

"I'm glad you liked it," she purred, misinterpreting my groan for pleasure. She raised herself up and straddled me again. She began rubbing herself against me. I knew what she wanted—me to return the favor.

"Kate, I think you need to get dressed and leave. I have a meeting tomorrow that I have to be ready for."

"But you always let me stay the night even when you have meetings." She pouted again. That pout used to win me over but not anymore.

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear enough last night but we aren't going to work. This is over. I have other shit on my plate right now and I can't have a girlfriend. Leave the key that you have and go." I pushed her off me and got up, stalking off toward my bedroom, an enraged Kate hot on my heels.

"Fuck you, Edward!" she screamed. "I can't believe you've strung me along for a fucking year and this is how we break up!"

"Kate, you've known from the very beginning of this relationship that it wasn't serious, that I didn't want or need a girlfriend."

"Then why a year?" She huffed.

"Because you would never leave! We've broken up so many times but you always came back!" I paced in front of her remembering all the fights and break-ups we'd had just to turn around the next morning with her crying and pouting on my doorstep wanting me back.

"That's because I thought we could make it work!" she cried grabbing at my shirt begging me with her eyes to give her yet another chance.

"No, Kate, we can't." I pried her manicured fingernails off my shirt and placed her hands down by her side. "You know just as much as I do that we were just fucking around."

"Gah, you're such a fucking loser! Did your dad put you up to this?" she screeched.

"Leave my father out of this," I advised.

"Oh, I see, doing everything Daddy tells you to do. Well, don't come crawling back to me when you've realized what you've lost!" She stormed out of the room back to the living room.

I heard the undeniable crash of something and cringed wondering what it was she'd broken this time. _Probably my flat screen._ After a few more screamed curses and crashes I heard the front door open and slam shut. Finally, peace and quiet.

The next morning came fast. After a night full of fitful sleep, I still wasn't sure I was ready to sign my life away. The candidate could have been worse, for sure. At least I knew Bella or used to know her. As I tied up my running shoes, plugged in my ear phones and went on my five-mile run, I thought of all the crazy things that could happen if I attempted to go through with this. I would meet Bella and she might have changed drastically-negatively. Or I'd meet her and she'd hate me for even considering something like this. The list went on.

I couldn't sign the papers and risk not running the business; however, I'd been prepped to run the business since I was a kid, and not doing so now would not only disappoint my entire family, but myself as well.

After I showered and drove over to the law office I was extremely nervous. How could I do this? Could I _really _do this? Could Bella? Could we marry each other without being in love?

I stood on the steps of the building debating what I would do as I watched everyone head out to lunch, minding their business and not caring that I was making a life-altering decision mere feet from them. Just as I was about to go inside, someone suddenly pounced on me, linking their arms around my neck and kissing me. I swung around and pulled back realizing who it was.

"Jane," I announced. "So nice to see you again," I wiped her lipstick off my mouth with the back of my hand and scowled at her. Some women just can't take no for an answer.

"I knew I'd see you again someday. Edward, you are a hard man to get hold of," she purred, pulling on my tie. I didn't want to admit to her that I had been avoiding her calls like the plague. Just as she was pulling me forward, attempting to kiss me again, I heard some commotion behind me. I turned and noticed a woman in a heap on the ground, a guy standing over her was yelling for her to wake up. Just as I was returning my attention back to Nutso and request she remove her arms from around my neck, I realized what name the guy was calling.

"Bella, are you okay? Bella!" he exclaimed. I slowly turned back around, straining my eyes against the bright sun, trying to make out if it was the Bella I knew. I peeled Jane off of me and headed over to get a better look. As I approached I realized it _was_ Bella that had passed out on the steps. I wondered what had happened to her.

As I leaned in and attempted to wake her, I saw her, truly saw her. She was gorgeous, absolutely stunning. Her hair was still long and curly like it had been in high school but now it was shiny. The wind blew lightly and I got a hint of strawberries and gardenias. She was still skinny but she had filled out more in all the right places. I was instantly hard. Our time apart had apparently not changed my body's reaction to her.

I called out her name, shaking her lightly, and as her eyes fluttered open, dark brown finding my green, I knew in that moment that I could be truly fucked. Isabella was beautiful.

They say diamonds are a girl's best friend; well, they might just be mine.

**A/N**

**Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it. ****Please review and let me know what you think! *muah***

**So many to thank for this chapter… first and foremost my beta coachlady12 that read this chapter three times for me…*runs and hides* I'm sorry bb but you know I love you mucho. Please go check out her stories on her ff site they are amazing! She has a finished one Dangerous Corporate Liaisons and a WIP Guarding Bella Swan. Both awesome so go now! 2113307/coachlady1**

**Thank you to my prereaders: 84Gemma, joayla, chitwigal, and SammieLynnsMom**

**Please check out 84Gemmas lovely polyvore's for the fic on my profile. **

**ChiTwiGal's fic: 6099557/1/If_You_Only_Knew**

**SammieLynnsMom fics: at /1966495/SammieLynnsMom**


	3. Chapter 3 Hardest

**A/N Hi! Enjoy this chapter. It's a flashback to Edward's graduation. Please check out my thanks at the end of the chapter! **

**Xxo to all those who helped! You know that I love you and I couldn't do it without you. ;)**

**All grammar mistakes are my own… I like to tinker 0_o**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not a single thing. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. There is no copyright infringement intended.**

_*June 9, 2001 (six years ago)*_

I checked out my reflection in the mirror. I was plain, nothing overly exciting. I was wearing a pair of skinny jeans and navy blue V-neck t-shirt. It wasn't spectacular but it was comfortable and I felt confident in it. My boobs didn't look too bad either. Moments later I heard a low but rapid knock on my door. I knew immediately that it was Alice.

Seconds later she was at my side, analyzing my outfit, shaking her head in disapproval. She disappeared into my closet, coming back holding a pleated, plaid skirt and a black tank top. My eyes widened at her selection.

"Am I going as a Catholic school girl?" I inquired.

"No, but it'll fulfill a desire aspect," she replied. I stopped and turned toward her.

"What are you talking about?"

"It'll fulfill the fantasy part. Hey, every little bit helps, right? You have awesome legs," Alice beamed. I knew she was just trying to help.

"It's weird that you're helping me nail your brother. You know that, right?" I stated examining my new outfit. Slipping off my pants and putting on the skirt, I felt immediately sexy. Not bad. My legs appeared longer and my bust looked bigger. Check, check.

"It's not weird. You'll be my sister soon enough. I'm just helping fate out, that's all." I loved when she talked like her brother and I were meant to be. "Do you know how exciting it's going to be when you guys get married?" She jumped up and down on her toes.

She'd been talking about it ever since our parents announced that I was to marry Edward, never once finding it odd, stating that it was meant to be.

"Alice, it'll be a while before that happens if it ever does," I muttered.

"Don't be silly, Bella, of course it's going to happen. I just know it!" Her optimism was contagious. We headed out of my room and toward her car. It wasn't just any car—a canary yellow Porsche to be exact, Alice's baby. "Be gentle," she'd always proclaim when you entered her vehicle. It wasn't just a car to her.

As we approached her house, cars were already lined up around the block. It was Edward's graduation party and we were here to crash. It wasn't that we weren't allowed but we weren't exactly officially invited either. Either way we showed up.

I was on a mission tonight—to land Edward Cullen. I'd had a crush on him since I was eight years old, ever since the day he shoved a kid for pushing me off the monkey bars. He never really gave me the time of day besides the acknowledgement that I was his kid sister's best friend so I admired him from afar; however, lately he'd been paying me more attention.

Our parents announced to us four years ago that Edward and I were to be married. Just twelve years old at the time, I thought the idea was ludicrous. Sure, I had a crush on him, but marriage? That was the last thing on my mind. It was my dad's idea, however, and all I knew about it was that it corresponded with some business deal.

I was now sixteen and Edward was eighteen, and although our marriage arrangement was still intact, Edward didn't make it a point to be more involved with my life as I thought he would.

He smiled politely at me and congratulated me when I landed the lead role in the school play. He gave me a hug when I got straight A's and kissed my cheek on my birthday. Sometimes he was around his house when I was there visiting Alice, and he would sit and talk with me about nonsense but above that nothing too important.

I waited on the sidelines for him to make his move. I watched him take out girl after girl, wondering time and time again why it wasn't me on his arm. Days turned to weeks, weeks turned into months and here we were at the end of his senior year and nothing had happened. He was leaving for Europe in a week, a graduation gift from his parents, and I was tired of waiting.

Tonight was the night. I was going to seduce Edward Cullen. I had to show him that I wanted him, that I desired him even above our planned nuptials. As we exited Alice's car and headed inside, I grew nervous. I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to do this. I was inexperienced in every way, but I was going to try.

We headed through her house toward the back porch where the kegs were, pushing through hundreds of people as we went. It seemed that the entire class of 2001 was currently in the Cullen household. When we reached the deck we swiped some beer and watched a monotonous game of beer pong.

As I stood there listening to the bass of the music and sipping my beer, my eyes began to search the crowd. An hour had passed and I still hadn't seen him. My mind wandered to the possibilities of where he could be. He had to be here, this party was for him. A few moments later I saw the familiar mop of auburn hair heading toward the porch; he towered over most of his classmates.

As the crowd inside parted slightly I finally got a good look at him. He stood there tall and lanky but toned. He had on loose-fitting jeans and a tight hunter green t-shirt, the V-neck of his shirt dipping low enough to show off some chest hair. He stopped to talk to a few people, laughing and smiling at their conversations. His smile was infectious.

As he approached closer I saw him reach out and wrap his arm around someone, pulling the mystery guest to him. This person was small, blond and female. He bent forward, his lips meeting hers, and my heart sank to my stomach when I saw the smile that transformed on his face afterward.

He tucked her into his side and started walking her toward the deck. As soon as I realized he was coming out there and he was bringing her with him, I began to frantically scan around for an escape, but I was too late.

"Hey, brother!" Alice squealed as he approached. She ran over to him and gave him a huge hug.

"Alice, what are you doing here?" he asked glaring at her in surprise, the blond on his arm staring us down. I immediately recognized her as Tanya, one of the senior whores.

"Bella and I are crashing your party, silly. You didn't think that we were going to let you have all the fun without us did you?" At the mention of my name Edward glanced over at me, finally noticing me standing there. I felt invisible as his eyes glazed over me then went right back to Alice. I immediately wished I was in _my_ clothes and not Alice's version, and then maybe I wouldn't feel so stupid.

"Alice, you can't stay here. Mom and Dad made it clear that this was for the seniors only."

"Whatever, Edward, why don't you have another drink and go away." He scoffed at her statement but grabbed a beer. He spun Tanya around and kissed her passionately; she groaned at his assault. At the sight I swore I vomited some in my mouth. I knew that Edward wasn't a virgin, far from it actually, but I didn't need to witness his promiscuity.

I looked over at Alice who was staring at me, analyzing my reaction. I rolled my eyes at her and went back to sipping my beer. I was trying so hard not to run away and cry and her stares weren't helping. When Edward and his arm candy got distracted by beer pong I grabbed a few beers and darted off inside, yelling to Alice that I'd catch her later. She knew me well enough to leave me alone for a little while.

I spent the rest of the night chugging beer wishing the numbness of my heart to come. When Ludacris's song "What's Your Fantasy" came on I got up and started to dance by myself. I loved this song and I didn't care who was watching me act like a fool. Halfway through the song I felt arms wrap around me from behind. I stiffened slightly, immediately thinking it was Edward. I turned around only to be met with blue eyes instead of green. Mike.

"Hey, Bella, how're you doing tonight?" Mike breathed down at me, his breath reeking of alcohol. He was average height with sandy blond hair. He wasn't a bad looking guy, but he was an asshole. He loved to date girls just to sleep with them and ignore them the next day. It was his signature move.

"Hi, Mike. I'm good; how're you?" I stated glancing around desperately for an escape route. I caught the eye of Edward, his face harboring some type of emotion. I decided to play it up a little so I wrapped my arms around Mike's neck and pulled his face closer to mine.

"That's good. I love your outfit, by the way. Very hot," he whispered running his hands over my hips and swaying me to the music.

"I was going for the Britney Spears Catholic school girl theme," I replied trying to act confident, but knowing that I was far from it.

"Well, you definitely succeeded." As we danced I peered back toward the direction that Edward had occupied only to find it empty. I looked around some more but didn't see him anywhere. Great. Now I was stuck with Mike's dirty hands on me and no way out. Fuck my life. As his hands lowered to my ass, I cringed.

"Um, Mike, thanks for the dance but I really should be going now," I exclaimed trying to twist out of his embrace.

"What? No! We just started dancing! Let me show you a good time," he replied, his hand firmly gripping my ass tighter and pressing me against his erection. Just as I was about to bring my knee to his groin, I felt another pair of arms rip me from his grasp.

"That won't be necessary, Mike," Edward pointed out, tucking me into his side.

"Ah, come on, Edward. Bella and I were having a good time. Weren't we, Bella?" I flinched at the way he said my name.

"The lady said she was done. Now leave." He glared at Mike effectively getting his point across.

"Alright, man, whatever. See you around, Bella," he responded, winking at me before he turned back toward the party. Edward wrapped his arm around me and led me up the stairs. My heart was racing, my mind coming up with all types of scenarios as to why he was taking me upstairs. As we made it to the landing, he turned me in the direction of his room.

"How much have you had to drink, Bella?" he asked.

"Not sure. Five maybe?" I answered, mentally counting the cups in my head.

"Five?" he restated sounding surprised. "Jesus, Bella."

We walked the hallway passing his bedroom and approached the guest room. He opened the door and escorted me in. The room was beautiful, pale blue in color with a white down comforter. I loved staying in this room when I stayed the night, not only for the location but the comfort. The bed was heavenly. Edward sat me down on the bed and began taking my shoes off.

"I can't believe you've had so much to drink. I'm going to kill Alice," he whispered dropping my shoes to floor. "Stay right here. Don't move," he demanded as he turned to go into the bathroom. He returned moments later with some Tylenol and water. "Take these," he stated handing me the cup and the pills. I took them both and downed the water instantly. I was extremely thirsty. Noticing how fast I drank the water Edward left again only to return with another glass. He placed it on the nightstand and turned toward me. "Okay, get into the bed." I obliged not wanting to argue with him. As I climbed in I realized this was my opportunity. I had enough liquid courage running through me and I needed to take advantage of it.

I pulled the covers over me waiting for the right moment to make my move. As Edward leaned over me to kiss my forehead, I turned my head up causing his lips to kiss mine instead. He pulled back immediately, shocked at my move.

"Kiss me, Edward," I moaned. "Please," I begged as I linked my hands around his neck and pulled him down to me, his weight feeling delicious on top of me. I brought his lips to mine again but this time he didn't pull away. He kissed me back, his lips so soft and succulent that I knew I could spend forever kissing him.

I tentatively pushed my tongue out and trailed along his bottom lip, silently asking him for permission. I hadn't ever done this before and I was hoping that I was doing it right. Seconds later Edward opened up for me, groaning against me as my tongue swept in and tangled with his. The kiss grew more frantic, my hands tugging at the hair on the back of his neck. His hands held my hips tightly, his fingers digging into my skin. I groaned when his hands made their way under my shirt.

At my noise his hands froze and he withdrew them from my body. He broke our kiss and sat back on the bed. Gazing at me he sighed.

"Bella, we can't do this."

"And why not?" I asked pulling the sheets up closer around my neck.

"Because we can't," he snapped jumping off the bed.

"I don't get it, Edward. Why not? We'll be married at some point; we need to practice." At my statement he growled.

"Bella, you don't know what you're talking about. Go to sleep."

"Why are you fighting this?" I demanded. "You know it's going to happen."

"No, it won't, not like this. Now go to bed." With that he stood and walked out the door.

I laid in the bed going over our conversation. He didn't want me. As the tears flowed, I found myself wondering what the hell I was doing. I had harbored a crush on this guy for years only to be invisible to him and ultimately turned down when I decided to make the move. I was so tired of waiting for nothing to happen. I stood from the bed and collected my shoes. I needed to get out of there. I knew I couldn't face him in the morning, not after that.

I stopped as I entered the dark hallway when I saw two figures stopped in front of Edward's door.

"Kiss me, Edward," a girl whispered. The smaller figure leaned up and kissed the other one.

"Take me, please," she pleaded. I knew from her voice it was Tanya. Edward paused and looked toward the guest room. I slipped further inside as to not be seen.

"My room," he whispered and with that the door opened and the figures were gone. I ran back into the bedroom and straight to the bathroom, emptying my stomach into the toilet. I couldn't believe it. Not only had he turned me down, but he was in there with someone else. It was one thing to be turned down, but it was another thing completely to be turned down for a slut. Although my resolve was made before I left the bedroom, it was stronger now. I needed to leave Edward behind.

I collected myself and left the room again, plugging my ears as I passed Edward's bedroom. I didn't need to add insult to injury. I left a note for Alice that I was going home and left. My house wasn't far, only a few blocks away. As I entered the sanctuary of my bedroom I let me emotions go.

They say diamonds are the hardest natural substance on the planet. I guess there were some things I still needed to learn from them.

**A/N**

**Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it. ****Please review and leave me love! *muah***

**So many to thank for this chapter… first and foremost my beta coachlady12! Please go check out her stories on her ff site they are amazing! She has a finished one Dangerous Corporate Liaisons and a WIP Guarding Bella Swan. Both awesome so go now! 2113307/coachlady1**

**Thank you to my prereaders: 84Gemma, hotforedward, and Cherieblossum**

**Please check out 84Gemmas lovely polyvore's for the fic on my profile. **

**Please check out Cherieblossums fic at .net/u/2116857**


	4. Chapter 4 Conditions

**A/N *Peeks in* *Waves* So sorry for the delay! If you read the last update of Shameless you read that I got burnt out. Between all the o/s I wrote I just needed a mental break. Basically I lost my mojo for awhile. It's back now! I promise not to make you wait so long for the next one! I'll have my prereaders keep me on track. Lol. **

**Xxo to all those who helped! You know that I love you and I couldn't do it without you. ;)**

**All grammar mistakes are my own… I like to tinker 0_o**

**Please read my thanks at the end!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not a single thing. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. There is no copyright infringement intended.**

BPOV

My head throbbed and I could hear a familiar voice calling out my name. It sounded as if I was underwater, the voice was garbled and almost inaudible, but I would recognize it anywhere.

Edward.

"Bella? Bella, can you hear me?" he stated, his voice finally piercing through my haze. I opened my eyes, blinking through the fog as it drifted away. Had I really just passed out? I looked up and focused on Edward's face. His eyes were aflame, his pupils dilated. He looked like an animal that had finally obtained his prey. I shuddered with a sudden desire to be devoured by him. Then the image came flooding back to me. Edward… blond… kissing…

Looking around I noticed that a crowd had started to form. I wasn't sure how long I'd been out, but I was thoroughly embarrassed that I had suddenly become the center of attention.

"Bella? Are you okay? Nod if you can hear me." I looked back at Edward who was now hovering over me so close that I could smell his aftershave, Old Spice. The same brand he'd worn in high school; he hadn't changed at all.

I nodded minutely hoping that this would be enough for him to back up and give me some space. My mind was reeling from the scene I'd been privy to, the questions that had flooded my mind, and the decision that I'd made. My world felt like it was collapsing inward; I needed to breathe.

"I'm fine, Edward. Can you let me up now?" I asked finally finding my voice. My mind was begging for him to go away, but my heart was demanding that he stay. He offered me his hand and I took it, trembling slightly. Every time we touched it was hard for me to pull away. My heart would race, thundering radically in my chest and I would always find myself breathless. This time was no different.

Immediately upon his grasping my hand in his, my heart took off, fluttering rapidly in my chest and my breathing picked up. Apparently, time hadn't calmed my foolish reactions to this man, and with everything that was now our soon to be fate, I realized I was officially screwed.

"Bella, you sure you're okay?" he inquired sounding genuinely concerned bringing up his other hand to stroke my cheek. Staring into his eyes, my hand in his, I was momentarily lost. I wondered how it would feel to have him pull me close and wrap me in his arms. How would his lips feel on mine? Soft and gentle? Would he put his hand on my waist or cup my face?

"Edward? What the hell?" complained an annoying female voice beside me that suddenly brought me back to reality.

"Jane, not now!" he yelled turning toward the voice. Jane. So the blond has a name.

"Bella, are you alright?" I turned around and saw my father's assistant, Riley, looking at me worried. "I saw you falling and I tried to help but you were out of it. I'm so sorry."

"I'm fine, Riley, really. Thank you for helping." Behind me I could hear Edward whisper yelling to Jane. Not interested in their heated conversation I changed the subject. "Where's Garrett?"

"Right here, ma'am," Garrett replied tipping his hat. "Are you sure you're okay? I can take you to the hospital if you'd like," Garrett suggested. He was my chauffer essentially, but most recently had stepped in as my bodyguard protecting me from any unwanted attention. I wished he had been here a few moments ago.

"Yes, you should go. I'll ride with you," Edward piped up randomly. Anger started to boil inside of me. Where the hell did his girlfriend go and why was he suddenly worried about what I was or wasn't doing.

"No, that won't be necessary," I clipped righting myself and smoothing my skirt out. "Garrett, please just take me home." Garret nodded waving his hand toward the awaiting car.

"Bella, you need to go to the hospital," Edward stated again more forcefully this time. "You hit your head pretty hard." I couldn't believe this. Was he being serious right now? How could he have seen anything with the parasite attached to his face? It was then that my verbal filter went completely off.

"How would you know, Edward? Huh? Was it when _Jane _first wrapped her arms around you? Or, wait, was it when she_ kissed_ you and _you_ kissed her back? How do you even know what happened?" I screamed. I began to shake from anger, my face growing increasingly hotter. Edward looked shocked at my outburst then worried. He reached for my hand, but I instinctively pulled away. "Don't touch me," I hissed at him.

"What's going on out here?" my dad asked from behind me. I looked over to see him now standing near Riley, Carlisle at his side.

"Yes, son, what exactly is going on?" Carlisle inquired glaring at Edward, his eyebrows raised, his arms crossed across his chest.

"Nothing, Dad, Bella fainted and bumped her head, and I was merely suggesting that she go to the hospital to get checked out. She has refused."

"Bella, is this true?" my dad asked now suddenly at my side looking at my head for injuries.

"Dad, it's nothing. You know how clumsy I am. I'm fine, really," I claimed absently rubbing my elbow and pulling away from his inspection.

"I don't know, Bell. Maybe you should go get checked out just to be on the safe side." It was pointless to fight him when he had made up his mind and by the tone of his voice I could tell that is exactly what he had done. I shot an evil glare at Edward who had a smug look on his face as if he had won a contest. With that, I nodded my agreement to my father and began to walk toward the car. Garrett offered me his arm to escort me and I was thankful for the help. I still wasn't a hundred percent stable after my fall, and if I was being honest with myself, going to the hospital wasn't such a bad idea.

"Edward, we'll take Bella to the hospital. You need to stay here and meet with Aro," Carlisle advised as Garrett opened the door for me and I entered into the back seat.

"Dad, I really think I should come with you guys. I can call Aro and reschedule," Edward counteracted looking almost panicked at the thought of having to stay behind.

"No, son, you know that's not possible. Aro is leaving first thing tomorrow morning for Italy and won't return for a few weeks. It has to be today." Carlisle shot me a worried look and lowered his voice. "Bella has already done her part in this so you need to complete yours. I'll ride with them to the hospital, but I'll call you later with an update, okay?" Edward nodded.

My emotions were in turmoil. I wanted him to join us because I was unexplainably drawn to his presence; something that apparently no matter how hard I tried to fight could not be turned off. At the same time the sane part of me needed him far away so that I could clear my head and think straight.

As the car drove away, I looked back to see Edward standing on the sidewalk, hands in his pockets, staring at our retreating vehicle with a conflicted look. I wasn't sure what he was conflicted about. Part of me hoped it was about me but the logical part of my brain reasoned it most likely involved a certain blond.

"Everything's going to be alright, Bella," my father assured me, patting my hand. I looked briefly at Carlisle who was looking at me sadly before turning away. I wondered briefly what he was thinking about. Did he see his son with Jane? Is that why he was sad? Does he think this agreement was a bad idea? I turned toward the window and sighed.

In my mind I was relaying all of my past encounters with Edward. This was the first time I could remember that he'd actually touched me without being forced to. He'd touched me before, of course, but always because of some mandated reason or another, whether it was when our moms were teaching us how to dance and stuck us together as partners or when I got stuck on the monkey bars when I was five and he helped me down, but it was never on his own accord. It was always out of obligation. And the look in his eyes was different. Before, he looked at me like I was his little sister or someone he had to deal with because I was always around whether he wanted me or not. The look he'd just given me was burned into my memory. It was as if his eyes were on fire, an unknown emotion lighting them.

After I got the all clear from the hospital, Garrett drove back toward the law office.

"It was good to see you again, Isabella. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again soon," Carlisle leaned forward hugging me slightly before retreating.

"Bella, I'm going to be a little while longer. I have a few loose ends to tie up, but Garrett will take you back to your apartment and we'll talk later, okay?" my dad said.

"That's fine, Dad."

"Remember to take it easy, kid," he warned.

"I will," I replied. He gave me a kiss on my forehead before heading out.

Garrett took me home and walked me to my door. "Have a good night, Miss Swan," he reached out and opened my door for me.

"Thank you, Garrett, but you know I've told you to call me Bella."

"Okay, Bella," he conceded. "Have a good night."

I spoke to my dad later on and found out that Edward had signed the papers. We were officially 'committed' now.

"We'll talk details later, but Esme wants you to go by the house this Sunday," he stated and I groaned. I loved Esme, really I did. My mother had passed away shortly after I was born and Esme had raised me like her own, but I knew this conversation was going to be nothing but wedding talk. Esme was over the moon that I was marrying her son. She had always told me I was her daughter but now it would be official.

"I know she can be overbearing, Bella, but just let her go through this with you. You know she's only trying to help since your mother isn't here. I'll have Garrett make an excuse for you to leave if it takes too long. Also, Alice will be there, too." I groaned again. I wasn't sure how I was going to make it through this conversation with both of them. To say they were excited would be an understatement.

I received a text later from Alice confirming that I was coming over on Sunday to discuss wedding details. I agreed but told her if I saw even a wisp of white fabric anywhere in sight I was leaving immediately. I wasn't ready for that quite yet.

I received a text a few moments later, and assuming it was Alice, I ignored it. I really didn't want to read her excuses. After I'd showered and returned to my room, I realized I had five text messages and one missed call all from an unknown number.

_Hi, how are you?_

_I'm sorry. _

_Are you okay? _

_Are you ignoring me? _

_One missed call. _

_I'm sorry. Please don't ignore me. _

Who in the world was texting me? As I was contemplating who it could be my phone rang again. Hesitantly, I answered.

"Hello?"

"Bella?" the familiar voice questioned.

"Yes?" I sighed. Who'd given him my phone number?

"It's Edward."

"I know it's you, Edward. What do you want?" I snapped. I closed my eyes to stave off the image of him and Jane that was flooding my mind again.

"Oh. Okay. I was calling to see if you were okay?"

"I'm fine Edward. Thank you for calling," I waited for him to say goodbye, but was met with silence. A moment later he spoke.

"Bella, do you think we can meet for lunch or dinner sometime soon?"

"Why?" I asked, suddenly aware that Edward was really asking to see me.

"So we can talk about this," he sighed. I could imagine him sitting on his couch running his hands through his hair over and over again.

"Do we need to talk about it? What's done is done."

"Bella, I think we need to talk about it. We need to at least try, don't you think?" I pondered his statement. Try. He was willing to try. That was more than I had been expecting.

"Okay. We can meet. When and where?"

"How about tomorrow at seven? I'll pick you up."

"Okay. Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise. I'll see you then." With that he hung up. As I saved his phone number in my phone I started thinking how odd it was that we were just now going to talk about this.

It wasn't like I didn't know Edward. I probably knew him just as well as anyone in his family, but we had never talked about our impending nuptials. Up until today it was only a possibility, but now it was official.

I had no idea how he felt about it. Was he excited? Was he scared?

As I lay down and attempted to sleep I knew this conversation was desperately needed, but I wasn't sure if I was ready for it. Edward was right, though. We needed at least to try.

There is no set time frame known for how long it takes a diamond to form. It all depends on the conditions surrounding it. If the conditions are right from the beginning, then a diamond can form fast; however, if they change, then a diamond can stay in limbo forever. I was hoping that my conversation with Edward would let me know exactly where we stood—forming or potentially lost forever.

**A/N**

**Hope it was worth the wait! I know it was mostly filler but we are getting into the good stuff! Please leave a review and let me know what you think;)**

**Thank you to my beta coachlady12! Please go check out her stories on her ff site they are amazing! She has a finished one Dangerous Corporate Liaisons and a WIP Guarding Bella Swan. Both awesome so go now! 2113307/coachlady1**

**Thank you to my prereaders: 84Gemma and Cherieblossum**

**Please check out 84Gemmas lovely polyvore's for the fic on my profile. **

**Please check out Cherieblossums fic at .net/u/2116857**


	5. Chapter 5 Temperature

**A/N Hi! I totally underestimated this month's itinerary… It was my dad's bday. As some of you might know my dad passed away back in December so this was a hard one to get through. **

**After that I had a h00r weekend that drained me for an entire week afterwards! No joke. Those bitches be crazy! So I really only had about two weeks of writing for this chapter… but my prereaders were on me and after hashing this out with 84gemma I have the hang of it. Next chapter won't be so long delayed! I swear! **

**It will be in EPOV btw;) **

**This one is Bella!**

**Xxo to all those who helped! You know that I love you and I couldn't do it without you. ;)**

**Please read my thanks at the end!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not a single thing. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. There is no copyright infringement intended.**

I woke up the next morning feeling exhausted. I had tossed and turned most of the night, my mind debating about all the things Edward and I needed to discuss.

As I contemplated giving up on getting any more sleep, my phone rang with an unfamiliar tone. Immediately, my heart began to race. What if he'd changed his mind? I reached down and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Bella, please tell me I didn't just wake you. It's almost twelve in the afternoon!" Alice screeched.

"Hello to you, too, Alice." I sighed pulling the covers off.

"Bella, what's wrong?" she inquired suddenly quieter.

"Nothing," I sighed again standing up and walking toward the bathroom.

"Nothing? Bella, you forget that I've known you all my life and I can tell even over the phone that something is most definitely wrong."

"It's really nothing, Alice. I just spoke with your brother last night that's all."

"Oh really? Well, that's a good thing isn't it?" she probed.

"I guess," I replied. "How did he get my number by the way?" Alice was silent.

"Well, he begged it out of me, Bella. I swear! I didn't think it was a problem!"

"No, no, it's fine. I just wish I'd had some warning that's all."

"So what did you guys talk about?" she asked. I swear Alice would explode if she didn't have all the gory details.

"Nothing really. We just discussed meeting for dinner tonight." I held the phone away from my ear as Alice squealed on the other line. "Jesus, calm down." I leaned against the sink in the bathroom.

"I'm sorry that I'm just a tiny bit excited that my bestest friend is going to be marrying my brother!" she exclaimed.

"Alice, you've known this for the last few years and it's just now settling in?"

"Well, now it's more official," she stated simply. She was right. We both had signed the paperwork. I'm not sure what the penalty was to break off the agreement, but for all intents and purposes, Edward and I were to be married within the next few months. At the thought my stomach did flips.

"So, where are you going tonight?" Alice inquired breaking me from my thoughts.

"Not sure. He said it's a surprise."

"Aw, that's so sweet," Alice cooed. "I bet he'll bring you flowers."

"I doubt it. He's pretty much already bought the cow. Why does he still need to woo it?"

"Bella, my brother can be romantic if he wants to be," she proclaimed trailing off.

I didn't dare ask how she knew that. Alice and I had been inseparable since day one, but chose to go to different colleges. Although we talked almost every day and spent every holiday and break together, there were some things about her family life that I didn't know nor cared to know, most of them involving her brother. After the graduation party, Edward became nonexistent in our conversations. Part of me was happy because I really didn't want to know about the other women, but part of me was desperate to have some clue. How many? What was his type?

I'd heard about a few of his girlfriends over time. I guess that's just what happened when your best friend's boyfriend is your crush's best friend. Jasper had been dating Alice forever and he happened to be Edward's best friend. He was always too readily able to give any and all details of Edward's conquests. Freshman year I heard about the French girl at the train station and the German girl in the hotel. Oh, and let's not forget the English girl in a taxi.

Over time the information provided to me lessened. I'm sure Alice had lectured Jasper in telling me too much information of her brother, therefore decreasing our conversations on that subject. I was relieved. I would, however, learn when he had a serious girlfriend. Jasper would sometimes let it slip when he would go meet Edward out for drinks and Edward would bring whichever girl it was that time with him. Those occasions always made me nervous.

Edward wasn't a serious relationship type guy so when a girl lasted past the one-month mark or got introduced to his best friend, I always cringed. However, up until now there had only been a handful and all of them didn't last long after meeting the friends. I was brought back from my musings when I heard Alice happily sigh.

"Is there a reason you were calling Alice? And from a random phone number I might add?"

"Oh yeah, sorry about that. I'm visiting Jasper at work for lunch and grabbed a random desk phone to call," she giggled. "I wanted to make sure that you were coming over Sunday to talk wedding details with Mom." Alice had always referenced her mom as my mom since I could remember. Even before the whole arrangement agreement. Since my mom had died when I was a baby, Esme was like a mother to me.

"I'll be there." _Barring any more craziness with your brother_, I thought.

"Bella, he really is a good guy," Alice implored, somehow knowing exactly what I was thinking.

"I know, Alice. I know."

"Alright, I'll see you Sunday. Call me later with dinner details!"

"Okay, will do. Bye." I hung up the phone and immediately jumped in the shower. I felt loads better after getting out. This was a new start. A new beginning between Edward and me. It didn't matter who came before. It only mattered that he was with me from here on out.

I busied myself the rest of the day cleaning and organizing my new apartment. I hadn't been in Chicago long and I was trying hard to get settled.

Around four my phone rang and I answered without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello," I stated, breathless, placing the remainder of my books on the shelf. I'd been cleaning all day to get my mind off my impending date with Edward.

"Hi, Bella?"

"Yeah?" I inquired. It was Edward but he sounded stressed and distracted.

"I'm going to have to cancel our dinner for tonight," he stated. In the background I could hear a woman's high-pitched squeal.

"Oh, okay," I replied not sure what else to say. Why wasn't I surprised about his canceling?

"I'm sorry. I'll call you later." He sighed. I heard a string of profanities in the background right before he hung up. I stared at the phone for a few moments unsure of what to do next. I'd spent the entire day preparing myself for this dinner only to have it canceled. And what was with the girl screaming? My heart instantly sank thinking that it was most likely Jane.

Edward never called me back to explain or reschedule so I spent the rest of the week in a funk. I avoided Alice's and my father's phone calls, only texting them now and then stating that I was fine and just busy with setting up the condo and work.

I was just about to head out for a run on Saturday afternoon when I heard a knock at my door. Peeking through the peephole, I saw an extremely pissed Alice.

"Bella Marie Swan, open the fucking door and let me in. I know you're in there because I can see your shadow." Damn it. I should have just stayed in my room. I flung the door open and was met instantly with yelling. "Bella, what the fuck is going on with you?" she screamed entering into my condo.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently knowing full well what she was talking about.

"Don't give me that shit. You know what I mean. Seventeen unanswered calls, only text replies. I know you and I know something is up so spill it!" She dropped her stuff next to the front door and waved a finger at me.

"Alice, I'm really not in the mood for this." I sighed walking away from her and into the kitchen for water.

"Bella, I know something has happened and if it has anything to do with my shithead of a brother, I will not hesitate to go to his house and rip him a new one for you."

I looked over at her in confusion. "I thought you said he was perfect and, oh, so romantic," I remarked sarcastically.

"I only said he could be romantic, but I definitely didn't say he was perfect," she scoffed.

"Well, that's what you made it sound like," I replied.

"No, he's far from perfect but he's perfect for you. I know it."

"Whatever, Alice. Listen, I'm just not ready to talk about it okay?"

"That's fine, but you're still coming over tomorrow, yes?" She hopped up and down on her toes in excitement. I could tell she'd been looking forward to this for a while.

"Yes, I'll be there." I sighed. I knew I couldn't let her down. As much as I didn't want to plan details for a wedding to a man that obviously couldn't care less about me, I didn't want to disappoint my best friend or her mom.

"Great. Mom and I have some awesome stuff to go through with you. Plus, we need to plan a time to go look at dresses." I cringed. The thought of getting a dress made this so much more permanent and I wasn't sure I was ready for that.

I'd spent all my college years avoiding any news of Edward that I could; even with Jasper, I tuned it out. After hearing from my father that Edward was still in agreement with the wedding, I deluded myself into thinking that he'd changed since graduation and that perhaps, maybe just maybe, he liked me even just a little bit and this could work between us. The last few days had proven to me that that wasn't the case at all and here I was about to marry him. Buying the dress just made everything so… final. I wasn't sure I could stomach that just yet.

"We'll figure something out," I murmured.

"Okay, great! Oh, also, we're having girls' night out next weekend. You, me and Angela are going out for some fun!"

"That sounds awesome. Let's just make sure that nothing happens like it did the last time." I snickered remembering Alice's fall on the stairs.

"Hey! You were the one who videotaped me dancing in the car and I was just trying to get it from you! No more videoing for you!" she announced grabbing her stuff and heading for the door.

"Alright, alright no more videoing, but you have to admit that was pretty damn funny when you face planted." I laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever," she waved it off. "That video better not ever be shown," she declared as she opened the door and headed out into the hallway.

"You never know. It could come up in a video at a special event sometime in the near future." I grinned leaning forward and hugging her tightly.

"You wouldn't dare!" She gasped and chuckled.

"Never," I stated shaking my head.

"Okay, woman, I'll see you tomorrow, yes?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Good. See you then. Love you!" she called back as she disappeared down the hallway. I shook my head in laughter at the memory of that night. Maybe that was exactly what I needed, a girls' night out to get my mind off of all this craziness. Yes, I most definitely did.

The next day came and I showed up to the Cullen estate just as I'd promised. I still hadn't heard from Edward and I was starting to get pissed off. I wasn't about to send him a message first that's for sure.

I grabbed onto Garrett's hand and thanked him for his assistance out of the vehicle. He was always so polite and didn't seem to mind driving me around. I would prefer to do it myself, but my father insisted on having Garrett do it instead, something about my being protected, blah blah.

As I approached the front door, it swung open to reveal a very enthusiastic Alice and a smiling Esme.

"You made it!" Alice exclaimed.

"Yes, I said I'd be here." I smiled as Esme came forward for a hug.

"Good to see you, dear." She smiled, rubbing my back gently. "We've missed you around here," she explained.

"I've missed you, too." It was true. Esme was so kind and genuine. I used to spend hours sitting around in the living room listening to her tell stories of her childhood or just watching her read. She was incredibly beautiful with the soul to match. Although things weren't working out for Edward and me, I was looking forward to officially being added into the Cullen family. I reached out and hugged Alice.

"Why were you worried I wouldn't show?" I asked as she hugged me back.

"You seemed so upset yesterday that I figured you wouldn't come."

"I'd never miss an opportunity to come by; you know that. I'd prefer to discuss a different topic, though." Alice and Esme cringed at my words.

"I'm sorry that my son is being difficult. I promise this is something that we're dealing with and hopefully will be out of our hair soon. Now let's go into the solarium and eat before we start hashing anything out, okay?" I nodded in agreement. I wasn't exactly sure what that meant but I knew Esme well enough not to push the topic. She obviously knew what was going on, but didn't want to discuss it. According to her, however, it was being handled. I could only imagine what that entailed.

The rest of the day was spent going through wedding colors, dates, places, and flowers. We confirmed the color of the bridesmaid dresses would be navy and they'd carry my favorite flower, gardenias. I agreed to carry white roses and gardenias with blue decorations throughout because Alice couldn't see the bride carrying and wearing all white.

The dates and places were narrowed down to fit our schedules. However, we did have to wait on Edward to finalize anything in relation to that per his request. I was slightly taken aback that he wanted to have a hand in the wedding at all. I figured we'd tell him the time and date and he'd show up.

The next week flew by and before I knew it girls' night was here. I'd gotten a few texts from Edward apologizing for not being able to call, but that as soon as he could he would, something about his being busy with work. Whatever. As soon as I saw that it was yet another excuse, I deleted it. I also erased his phone number for good measure. If he wasn't calling me, I wasn't calling him, and I wasn't going to give myself an opportunity to, especially when I'd be drinking.

The girls showed up right at eight and we headed out, Garrett of course driving us to our destination, Twilight, the new hip dance club in town. I wore my favorite pink corset, mini skirt, and Louboutin knee-high boots. I topped the outfit off with my favorite flower necklace that my father had given me on my eighteenth birthday. Angela was in a green, strapless dress with a black ribbon tied around her waist while Alice looked amazing in a blue halter-top dress and black shoes that tied up her calves. We all looked absolutely amazing if I said so myself.

After a few drinks and dances, we were giggling in a corner when Alice pulled out her phone.

"Picture time!" she announced. She sauntered over to a group of guys and requested that they take our pictures. They happily obliged, having us stand next to each other in different positions. After thanking them and declining their drink and dance offers, Alice excused herself from the table. I sat contentedly at the table babbling to Angela about a new book we were both reading when Alice came back with a guilty look.

"Don't be mad," she stated.

"What?" I asked.

"I sent Edward that picture of us," she said looking toward the entrance.

"What? Why?" I inquired.

"Because I wanted him to see how hot you looked and tell him that he was missing out by being a dick."

"Alice! Why'd you do that?"

"Because I'm tired of him being an asshole!" she announced. I sighed. Well, I didn't really want him to know anything, but at least it was just a picture. "It gets worse," she whispered in my ear.

"What do you mean?"

"He's angry and he's on his way."

"What? Why's he angry? And why's he on his way? Its girls' night!" I exclaimed.

"I know! I told him that! But after I sent him the picture message, he called me, yelling at me stating that you shouldn't to be wearing something like that out. I told him to mind his own business but then he demanded to know where we were. I told him that I wouldn't tell him, but then he stated he'd find out and hung up!" I took in all this information and couldn't believe what I was hearing. Edward was mad at what I was wearing? How dare he! Who did he think he was suddenly being possessive over me?

"Well, maybe he won't find us then," I said, almost believing it, but as soon as I uttered the words my stomach flipped. He was here. I knew it. I only reacted like this when he was close by. I looked out into the dance club and saw his familiar mop of auburn hair heading in our direction. The crowd parted to let him through as he stalked toward us. When I finally saw his face, I gasped; he looked hot. He was wearing a blue button up and dark pants. It looked like he hadn't shaved in days and his hair was messy but sexy. When I looked into his eyes, I gasped again. Holy hell, he was pissed.

It's stated that diamonds are a high-temperature, high-pressure mineral. That they will not form naturally on the Earth's surface. Conditions where they can form are in Earth's mantle which can be up to 100 miles below the surface at hundreds of millions of degrees.

With an angry Edward fast approaching our table the temperature inside the club increased exponentially and the pressure was on. It appeared the conditions were right on track…

**A/N**

**There ya go! What do you think of pissedward? Hot no? R/R! **

**Thank you to my beta coachlady12! Please go check out her stories on her ff site they are amazing! ****2113307/coachlady1**

**Thank you to my prereaders: 84Gemma, Duckynoel, and Cherieblossum**

**Please check out 84Gemmas lovely polyvore's for the fic on my profile. **

**Please check out Cherieblossums fic at ****.net/u/2116857**


	6. Chapter 6 Unbreakable

**A/N Hola! Here it is! Next one is well on its way:D**

**Xxo to all those who helped! You know that I love you and I couldn't do it without you. ;)**

**Please read my thanks at the end!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not a single thing. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. There is no copyright infringement intended.**

EPOV

After I convinced Bella's father and mine to take her to the hospital, I stood on the sidewalk and watched her ride off. All I could think about was getting into my vehicle and following after her.

I pushed my hands into my pockets and thought about this sudden feeling of protectiveness I felt for her. I had always wanted to protect her because she was Alice's best friend and like another sister to me, but this feeling… this feeling was different, very different. It's nothing I've ever felt before in my life. It was this sudden need to be around her, to feel her and know that she was safe. I wasn't sure how this happened or why, but I was definitely confused.

I walked into Aro's office and spoke briefly with his secretary, Carmen, while I was escorted back to a conference room. Moments later the door opened and a beaming Aro walked in.

"Edward, my boy, how are you doing today?" he asked reaching out and shaking my hand. The only way anyone could tell Aro was aging were the gray hairs now streaking through his once all-black hair. Other than that he was fit and could probably out run any young man.

"I'm good, Aro. Thank you for seeing me today. I know you must be going crazy with plans. Congratulations." Aro was leaving the next day for Italy to marry his new bride, Heidi. It would be his third try at marriage.

"Not a problem at all. You know you and your family can call me at any time for anything at all, but I do have to say that you are my last appointment for the day." He grinned. After a brief conversation of the plans for the next few weeks we got down to business. We went through all the paperwork, which was seemingly hundreds of pages before we got to the signing part.

"Now, if you agree to this you can sign here and initial here." He handed me the pen. I wasn't even sure about half of what he'd said. I'd guess it was all standard procedure for an arranged marriage/pre-nup deal but I wasn't sure. The whole time all I could think about was how Bella was doing. "Son, I'm not sure where your mind is but I can assure you this is pretty straight forward. There is nothing out of the ordinary. Now if you would just sign here above Isabella's name and initial beside hers, we'll be set."

I looked down and saw Bella's tiny signature and initials. Well, she'd signed so this must be something she wanted. Part of me wanted to do this the old-fashioned way. Take her out on a date and kiss her on her front porch, but the other part knew that this was important not only for my family but her family as well.

After signing my name, I congratulated Aro once again and left. I immediately grabbed my phone to call my dad to find out what was going on.

"Carlisle," he answered on the first ring.

"Hey, Dad, how is she?"

"Well, hello to you, too, son." He chuckled.

"Dad." I sighed jumping into my car.

"She's fine, Edward. I was actually just dropped back off at the office with her father."

"What? Who's taking care of her?" I asked, suddenly angry that she could have a concussion and nobody would be looking out for her.

"She's on her way home with Garrett. She doesn't need any help. It's just a knot on the head is all. Listen, I have to go. Charlie and I still have a lot to discuss."

"Okay. Thanks, Dad." With that I hung up. I was glad it was just a bump then. I didn't really see the fall just her afterward, so apparently I'd overreacted. I wanted to call her and apologize for Jane. Apologize for everything. I reopened my phone and scrolled through the names

"What the heck," I whispered suddenly realizing that I didn't even have her phone number. I scrolled back up and immediately hit send.

"Hello, dear brother, how are you?" Alice sang when she answered.

"I'm doing okay. Listen, can I get Bella's phone number from you?"

"Why?"

"I'd like to call and check on her." _And see if she'll go out with me so I can apologize, _I thought.

"You don't already have her number?" she asked sounding shocked.

"No, apparently, I don't."

"Why didn't you ask her for it?"

"Alice, really I don't have time for this. If you won't give it to me I can get it from somewhere else."

"I don't know, Edward…" she replied quietly.

"I'm just going to call her and see if everything's okay. I'm not going to harass her or anything. We do need to start talking though don't you think?" I was met with silence. "Alice, I'm begging you."

"Fine. Alright, but don't tell her it was me. She must have a reason for not giving you her number," she sighed.

"No problem. Hey, can you text it to me? I'm actually driving and don't have anything to write it down with."

"Okay. I'll talk to you later. Bye."

"Bye." Moments later my phone dinged with her number and a short message from Alice.

_Don't fuck this up big brother. _

All I could think was that I was trying not to. I arrived home shortly after and happy to find it empty. Kate had been calling me nonstop the last few days and threatening to show up. She hadn't yet but I wouldn't put it past her.

I felt more relaxed after a shower and sat down and opened my phone.

"You can do this," I whispered trying to convince myself. I wasn't sure why there were butterflies in my stomach. I mean, I was only texting Bella, my future wife. I shouldn't be nervous. _Bella, I thought. _She was absolutely breathtaking.

I decided to start off with a simple text to see if she'd respond.

_Hi, how are you?_

I waited a few moments and didn't get a response.

_I'm sorry. _

I figured I'd apologize. What for exactly, I wasn't sure. Everything I guessed. Moments later I still didn't have a response. My nerves got the better of me.

_Are you okay? _

My mind started wandering and I thought she could be lying in bed unconscious. I started to pace. Or maybe she didn't want to talk to me. I didn't leave her on the best note.

_Are you ignoring me? _

Again no response… Now I was really worried. Did she really not want to talk to me? Without much thought I dialed her number. A few seconds later I heard her voicemail come on.

"_Hi, you've reached Bella. I'm away from my phone right now so please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can." _My heart involuntarily squeezed at the sound of her voice. I decided not to leave a voicemail because I was suddenly without words. After a few more moments I texted her one last time hoping that would get me a response.

_I'm sorry. Please don't ignore me. _

Now all I could do was wait… wait for her to call or ignore. I started running my hands through my hair. What if she didn't call? What if she knew it was me and decided against it. Could she be regretting her decision earlier today? I couldn't blame her. Not with how Jane acted. _Jane. What a mistake…and what God-awful timing. _I didn't want to wait for her to call me so I dialed her number again. This time she answered.

"Hello?" she stated hesitantly. She obviously didn't know it was me.

"Bella?" I questioned unsure of what else to say.

"Yes?" She sighed.

"It's Edward," I replied. God, what was wrong with me. Why couldn't I talk to her all of a sudden?

"I know it's you, Edward. What do you want?" she snapped. Shit, I guess she was still mad from earlier.

"Oh. Okay. I was calling to see if you were okay?" Great, now I sounded like a moron.

"I'm fine, Edward. Thank you for calling." She paused. I waited to see if she'd hang up but she didn't. A moment later I spoke.

"Bella, do you think we can meet for lunch or dinner sometime soon?" I inquired hoping she'd give me a chance to explain everything to her in person. We really needed to talk if we had any chance at surviving this.

"Why?" she asked. I was suddenly aware that she didn't know that I wanted to talk this out.

"So we can talk about this." I sighed running my hands through my hair over and over again.

"Do we need to talk about it? What's done is done," she replied.

"Bella, I think we need to talk about it. We need to at least try, don't you think?" I held my breath waiting for her to deny me. Were we really going to go through this for our families and not even try to get along?

"Okay. We can meet. When and where?" I let out my breath. This was a good start.

"How about tomorrow at seven? I'll pick you up," I stated. I knew just where to take her.

"Okay. Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise. I'll see you then." And with that I hung up. I knew I could probably stay on the phone with her for hours if I wanted; she was easy to talk to, but I needed time to figure everything out. My mind was going a mile a minute. Bella had actually agreed to go out with me. Maybe we really could do this the old-fashioned way after all.

The next morning came fast and I felt like I had barely slept. I wondered all night about Bella and what she was doing. Was she excited about tonight? Was she dreading it? I didn't give her much of chance to deny me…

I went for my morning run, which usually helped clear my head, but it only gave me more time to dwell on things. What if she was having second thoughts about the wedding? Could I bear to lose her and the family business all at once? I stopped jogging at the thought and headed back home. The thought of losing it all was too much.

After I showered and calmed down I felt better. She wouldn't agree to meet with me if she didn't want to try to work it out, right? As I tried to convince myself of this my doorbell rang. Without thinking, I answered it only to find a very drunk and belligerent Kate at my door.

"Kate, what the fuck are you doing here?" I inquired as she sauntered past me on her four-inch heels.

"Hello to you, too, Edward," she slurred.

"Kate, I told you our relationship was over now what the fuck are you doing here?" I stated backing away from her advances.

"I'm coming to collect what is rightfully mine," she whispered before jumping me and kissing me harshly. I pushed her away the moment I figured out what she was doing which caused her to explode in anger.

"What the fuck, Edward!" she seethed angrily. "You don't want to kiss me anymore?"

"No, Kate. I don't," I answered matter-of-factly. "Maybe you should go home and sober up and we can talk about this later," I begged. I really needed to leave soon if I was going to make it to Bella's on time for our date and I wasn't even close to ready.

"Edward, why, why did you break it off?" she sobbed. "I love you!" She grabbed at my shirt and pulled me toward her.

"No, no, you don't. You love the idea of me and what my money brought you," I answered pushing her away from me.

"You don't know anything!" she yelled grabbing my end table and tossing it across the room. "I've loved you for so long and I've been sitting around waiting, waiting for you to love me back and all you did was toss me to the curb like yesterday's garbage!" She grabbed the other end table and tossed that one in the same direction as the other. "Why is it so hard for you to love me?" she screamed.

I didn't know what to do. I needed to get her out so I could leave, but I knew it wasn't going to be fast enough. I had to call Bella and cancel our dinner. As much as it broke me to do so I didn't want to stand her up either. I went into my bedroom, shut my door, and dialed her number. I could still hear Kate screaming in the living room. I waited with baited breath for Bella to answer, hoping that Kate wouldn't continue acting so crazy.

"Hello," she stated, breathless. I wondered exactly what she was doing that made her so breathless, I was instantly jealous.

"Hi, Bella?" I asked. What a stupid question. Of course it was her...

"Yeah?" she inquired. I wondered if she could tell how stressed I was. Kate's presence was definitely getting to me.

"I'm going to have to cancel our dinner for tonight," I stated. Suddenly, I heard Kate scream a high-pitched squeal from behind the door… one I'd never heard from her before. She was definitely pissed.

"Oh, okay," she replied surprisingly calm, much different from my current company.

"I'm sorry. I'll call you later." I sighed. I wanted to tell her more. Explain what was going on, but at that time Kate decided to start throwing objects at my door. I cursed a few times then hung up. I didn't want Bella to hear anymore of this chaos.

"Kate, calm down," I said opening my door and immediately dodging the next object she threw in my direction.

Kate and I argued on and off for the next few hours. Finally, after she calmed down and sobered up, she left, apologizing profusely about her behavior. When she was gone, I immediately called my father.

"Dad, we have an issue." I explained to him what happened and was met with silence. "Dad, did you hear me?"

"Yes, son, I heard you." He sighed. "I knew that girl was bad news." I could hear him shuffling around. I looked at the clock and noticed it was well after midnight.

"Shit, Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was so late. I'll call you back tomorrow."

"No, no, it's fine. Just give me a moment." I could hear him moving around and some murmuring before he was back on the line. "Okay. We obviously have an issue here. Do you think she'll be coming back?"

"I'm not sure. She seemed apologetic when she left, but her mood swings in general give me whiplash."

He sighed. "Son, I do have to ask this and please be honest with me." He paused. "Is there any way she could be pregnant?"

I thought for a moment about the last time Kate and I were together. It was our ski trip two months ago. "No, I doubt it. I'm sure she would have thrown it in my face by now if she was."

"You're sure?" he asked.

"Yes, Dad. If you must know we haven't been together like that in over two months." I sighed. "Why do you ask anyway?"

"Well, that could… complicate things."

"Shit, Dad, you sound like you're going to have her whacked off or something!" I exclaimed.

"Don't be stupid, Edward, and stop cussing so much. If your mother heard you right now she'd be washing your mouth out with soap."

"Sorry," I mumbled.

"We aren't having her 'whacked off' as you so eloquently put it, but your mother can be persuasive when she wants to be, as you know, and she'll probably want to meet with her and see if we can't convince her to back off." _Basically buy her off, _I thought.My heart sank. I couldn't believe I had gotten my family into this situation. "Look, let your mother and me handle Kate. We'll figure it out. In the meantime, lay low. No more going out, and, please, no more girls." I groaned. Was this what he thought of me? I didn't dare tell him that other girls weren't possible and that all I could think about was Bella. He'd probably think I was lying if I did.

"You don't have anything to worry about, Dad."

The rest of the week flew by. I really wanted to contact Bella, but I knew if I called her, I would have to explain why I'd cancelled our date and I didn't want to do that over the phone. She deserved better than that, and unfortunately, I didn't have the time to see her. Work was crazy busy and I was traveling all over the city making deals, and when I got home, all I did was crash.

I thought of calling her later on when work finally calmed down, but I had let so much time pass I wasn't even sure what to say anymore. I knew that she was most likely beyond pissed at me by now, so I texted her instead. I didn't expect her to respond, but I wanted her to know I was thinking about her. It was the coward's way out.

It was Friday night. Usually, I'd be hitting some hot new club and looking for someone to entertain me for a few hours, but tonight I stayed in.

Kate hadn't been back. I had heard anything from my father, either. She'd gone over to speak with my parents a few nights ago, but I never heard of the outcome. I could only imagine she was paid off.

I sat on my couch and flipped through channel after channel. However, all I could do was think about Bella. I wondered what she was doing and if perhaps I should man up and talk to her. I couldn't deal with her rejection, but the longer I waited the worse it would be.

Without hesitating I dialed her number, but it went right to voicemail. This time I left a message.

"Hey, Bella, it's me. Umm, I know you're probably pissed off at me but I'd like to talk to you, in person if we could. Please call me back."

An hour later I still hadn't heard from her. I couldn't imagine what she was doing. I sat on the couch and ran my hands through my hair.

I called her again and still no answer. What if she was out with someone else? What if I truly had fucked this up before it'd started?

I decided to get out of the apartment before I went insane. I grabbed my keys and hopped into my Porsche. It was sporty and powerful. As I navigated the streets of Chicago, I thought about calling Alice. Surely, she'd tell me what Bella was up to.

As I reached for my phone to call her, it lit up with a new message. I noticed immediately it was a picture text. As I stopped at the next red light, I opened the message and immediately regretted doing so. There in my inbox was a picture of my sister, some dark-haired chick, and Bella with a message that said, "Look what you're missing out on by being a dick."

Bella. Bella was out dancing with my sister and ignoring my calls. I looked closer at the picture and noticed exactly what she was wearing. She was wearing a pink corset that accentuated her breasts and a mini-skirt that showed off her slim waist and hips. Her hair was wavy and hanging loosely around her shoulders. Her eyes were smoky, her lips were pouty, and to top it off, she was wearing fuck-boots boots.

She was out wearing that? Suddenly I saw red. I could only imagine the guys that were hovering around her. What was my sister thinking?

I immediately pulled over and dialed Alice's number. It rang a few times before she answered.

"Hello!" she answered happily. I could tell she was a little tipsy.

"Alice, what the fuck?"

"Hi, brother dear, how are you?"

"Alice, why is Bella out wearing that?"

"What? She looks hot!" she exclaimed.

"I know! That's the problem! She shouldn't be wearing something like that out and drinking."

"Yes, she should! She's having a good time. Oh, wait, are you jealous?" she inquired.

"Alice, where the fuck are y'all?" I asked.

"Not telling; it's girls' night."

"Damn it, I'm being serious here!"

"Whoa, chill, brother. Bella is fine. I'll take good care of her."

"Alice, tell me where fuck y'all are!" I yelled. I was trying hard not to be pissed that my sister was helping Bella meet other men.

"Mind your business, Fuckward," she hissed. Crap, she was pissed. Now she'd never tell me where they were.

"Fine, I'll find you guys on my own." I hung up and immediately dialed the next number.

"Hi, Edward. What can I do for you tonight?"

"Felix, I need to find where my sister and her friends are."

"I'm not sure," he replied hesitantly.

"I know they're probably riding with Garrett. Where did he last check in at?" I knew Charlie required Garrett to call in to the security desk every once in a while to let them know where they were. Though I always thought that was overprotective of Charlie, tonight I was secretly thanking him.

"Last time he checked in was from that new club downtown, Twilight. That was about two hours ago."

"Thanks, man." I hung up. Luckily, I wasn't far from there. I pulled around the corner and drove the few blocks to the club, stopping at the valet and tossing him the keys.

I couldn't help how pissed I was. I was mad because she was out, ignoring my calls. On top of that, she was out dressed to kill. She looked amazing and I knew every red-blooded guy in here thought the same thing. All I wanted to do was throw her over my shoulder and carry her out of here.

When I entered, I spotted them in the back of the club and headed their way. I scowled at the group of guys standing near her table. I hoped none of those fuckers touched her.

Finally, my eyes locked on Bella. At first she looked surprised but as I got closer she grew pissed.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Edward?" she yelled over the music. Okay, so maybe not the best idea to come here.

"Bella, I need to talk to you."

"You couldn't have talked to me a few days ago?" she screamed. Everyone around us turned to stare.

"Can we take this outside, please?" I asked. She huffed but turned and walked toward the exit. I followed close behind her. Once outside, she whirled around and pushed me.

"I can't believe you!" she yelled.

"Bella, let me explain!" I stated exasperated.

"You had a week to explain! And now when I'm out having a good time with my friends, you storm in here and act like an ass!" She waved her arms around as she paced back and forth.

"I'm sorry! I _was_ an ass, but if you'll give me some time, I can explain it to you." Before I could finish she interrupted.

"No, Edward. You had a week. A WEEK! No, I don't think so." She huffed. "Fuck you!" she yelled, storming off toward her car. I saw her friends piling into the vehicle; they must have noticed our entire conversation. Garrett was waiting with the door open. She climbed in and seconds later he was driving her away.

In mineralogy, the word diamond comes from the Greek word _Adamas,_ which means unbreakable; however, I wasn't so sure about that.

As I watched the taillights of her car disappear from sight, I knew I had messed up royally. Fuck. How do I fix this?

**A/N**

**Ok next chapter soon! Leave me some R/R! xxo**

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	7. Chapter 7 Popularity

**A/N *Peeks in* *Waves* Hi! Sorry for the delay, again. I wrote this chapter then deleted it…a few times. I wasn't sure exactly how to approach it for some reason. Hope you like… *crosses fingers* **

**All grammar mistakes are my own. I like to tinker! 0_o**

**See my thanks at the end to all those who pre read and my beta! You know I love you all! *muah***

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not a single thing. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. There is no copyright infringement**

BPOV

I couldn't believe him. He shows up after a week, a WEEK, to talk and "explain" himself. I don't think so. He can go fuck himself.

I slid into the back of the car next to Alice and Angela. Both of them were staring at me in shock. It wasn't often that I let my temper get the best of me.

"Wow, Bella, that was awesome!" Angela exclaimed patting my leg. "You really let him have it." I glanced over at Alice who was nodding her head in agreement.

"You know I love my brother, but this was a dick move. Even for him." She sighed. I leaned my head back against the headrest and closed my eyes as Garrett drove us back to my apartment. Angela and Alice had the brilliant idea to continue the night at my house, making it a sleepover.

As Alice and Angela talk animatedly about the night, my mind wandered back to Edward. Did he really think he could waltz into the club and demand to talk to me? What in the world was he thinking? Obviously, he wasn't. I sighed. We had so much we needed to figure out if this was ever going to work. My stomach dropped at the thought. _Could_ it work? I definitely had my doubts now.

We pulled up to my building, Garrett opening the door and assisting us out.

"You try to have a better night, Miss Bella," he whispered holding my hand a beat longer than normal. I looked up and smiled at him.

"Thank you, Garrett. I'll try." I squeezed his hand and headed toward the door.

"I never realized how cute Garrett was before," Angela pointed out as we entered the elevator. "Is he single?"

"I'm not sure," I admitted. "I've never spoken with him about his personal life before."

"Well, he's very cute. Especially in that uniform…" and I couldn't disagree. Garrett was a good looking guy. "He's always been so sweet too," Angela proclaimed as we got off the elevator and approached my door.

"He has," I agreed.

"So, we agreed to watch _Bridget Jones's Diary_," Alice responded as we entered my apartment. She obviously didn't care too much about our Garrett conversation.

"Again?" I whined.

"Yes, again. You know it's our go-to movie when we're feeling down. Now go change and we'll get the movie going and make some popcorn," Angela responded. We did always watch this movie when we needed some cheering up so how could I possibly say no? It was a movie we could watch that didn't make us cry and Colin Firth was absolutely yummy. His accent got me every time.

"Okay," I replied, "but I want artery-clogging popcorn, lots of butter and salt."

"You got it woman," Alice saluted as I headed off to my bedroom to change.

The rest of the night passed in blur. We attempted to watch the movie, but spent most of it talking, laughing, and drinking the rest of my vodka. It was exactly what I needed.

At some point we all passed out on the couch. I woke up as the sun was rising and headed off toward my bed. I woke Angela and Alice as I went, pointing them toward the guest bedroom. They rose slowly and padded off in that direction, both yawning and holding their heads along the way.

I slept the rest of the morning away and only woke in the afternoon because someone was outside banging on my door.

"Hold on a minute!" I shouted grabbing my robe and trudging to the door. Who in the world would be banging on my door like a mad man? I swung open the door and was immediately wrapped up in strong arms.

"Bella, why haven't you answered your phone?" he asked.

"Emmett! Put me down, you big buffoon!" I squealed as he twirled me around my living room. He placed me back on the floor, kissing my forehead before stepping away.

"So why haven't you been answering your phone?" he asked again.

"My phones been off," I grumbled. "What are you doing here?" I inquired.

"Wow, haven't you been checking your voicemails?"

"I'm sorry I've been… preoccupied." I didn't want to tell him what'd happened between Edward and me, and that I was avoiding my phone altogether.

Emmett was my best friend from college and knew all about Edward's and my arrangement. He was not Edward's biggest fan.

"Oh no, what happened, little JB?" he groaned, pulling me in for one of his infamous bear hugs. He was using my nickname, too, because he knew it always made me smile.

"Nothing," I replied shaking my head against his chest. I didn't want him to know that I had gone through with signing the contract. I didn't want him to know about Jane throwing herself at Edward or Edward's broken date or the confrontation we'd had last night. I knew he wouldn't understand and he'd hate Edward even more.

"Bella, you know I'm here if you need to talk right?" I nodded. I knew he was. He always had been.

_*August 23, 2003 (Four years ago)* _

I walked into my dorm room and dropped all my stuff immediately. My shit was heavy. My dad had requested we have someone move all of my stuff for me, but I'd absolutely refused. I wanted to do it myself. I was going to a public school and I didn't need people to look at me differently and they would if I pulled up with moving men. Everyone else was moving their own stuff so I would, too.

My dad was currently downstairs arguing with the parking attendants and the tow guy. He had our vehicle parked right out front on the curb and was of course asked to move it numerous times for fire safety reasons. And my dad being my dad didn't listen, so now he was facing a huge fine or towing the vehicle.

I walked over to left side of the room and looked around. The room was small, about the size of my closet back home. It had two twin-sized beds, a desk, and a small closet. I wasn't sure how I'd fit all the stuff I'd brought but I knew I could manage. I walked toward the window to look at my "view" when my dad walked in.

"Bells, you could have at least picked a lower floor. Those stairs are rough on your old man."

"Ah, Dad, it's not so bad. Besides it's good for you," I said patting his backing.

"Yeah, yeah," he uttered while looking around the room. "You know, I could have requested a private room for you."

"No, this is fine, Dad. I wanted to have a roommate." And I did. I wanted to have the college experience. At that moment the door opened and in walked an exceptionally beautiful blond woman. I couldn't help but stare. There was just something about her.

"Hi, I'm Rosalie Hale. You must be Isabella Swan," she said walking toward me and holding out her hand.

"Just Bella," I replied shaking her hand.

"Excuse me?" she asked confused at my statement.

"Oh, it's just Bella. Not Isabella," I stated again and she smiled.

"Well, just Bella, it's nice to meet you. Mind if I call you JB?" She smiled. "And this must be your dad. Mr. Swan?"

"Yes, this is my dad," I stammered stepping aside so she could shake hands with him. I was completely in awe of her confidence.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Swan," she said shaking his hand.

"Likewise, Miss Hale," my dad replied. "Well, Bells, I should be going and let you two get to know each other. I paid the parking attendants off, but God only knows how long before they cave and let the tow guy take the car."

"Alright, Dad, I'll call you later." I leaned forward and gave him a big hug.

"Take care and call me if you need anything, okay? Seth can be here at any time," he whispered.

"Okay, Dad, I will." He had hired Sam, Seth, and Jared to be my new "bodyguards." Although they wouldn't be next to me at all times, they'd be in the vicinity, only moments away at any given time. I had a special cell phone that when I pressed a button it immediately let them know of my exact location. If my dad had had his way, I would have been living in an apartment with security and a guard with me at all times. This was our compromise.

After my dad left, Rosalie, or Rose as she liked to be called, and I hung out and got to know each other. I learned she was from Rochester, New York, but had never been to New York City before. She was sad to be away from her parents, but happy to be away from her psycho ex-boyfriend Royce King, III. According to her he was a real asshole. I learned that she was at NYU to study mechanical engineering. When I expressed to her how impressed I was, she just waved me off.

"It's a male-dominated field. I can't wait to break into that and show them what we girls can really do," she responded. I admired her strength.

We spent the following weeks hanging out between classes and after school. We ate together, studied together, and just got to know each other more. Rose was fast becoming a good friend. She even talked to Alice on the phone a few times and the two got along fabulously.

_*Sometime in mid October 2003*_

It was about six weeks into the semester when I was sitting in the courtyard reading a book, waiting on Rose, when a soccer ball flew past my head, missing me by mere inches.

"What the fuck!" I yelled looking in the direction the ball had come from.

"Oh shit! I'm so sorry!" a muscular man with a cute smile stated as he jogged up to me. "Are you okay?" he asked stopping right in front of me.

"Yes, I will be when my heart stops trying to beat out of my fucking chest…" I replied as the cute guy chuckled.

"Sorry. That was my fault. I should have blocked that one."

"It's okay," I muttered.

"Nah, I nearly gave you a heart attack! You should have seen the look on your face!"

"Yeah, well, it's not every day I have soccer balls flying at my face going a hundred miles an hour," I quipped.

"This is true. Hey, why don't you let me take you out for coffee to make up for it?" I stared at him in shock. This was the first guy to actually ask me out. I wasn't sure what to say. "You don't have to, though. It was just a suggestion," he mumbled and I realized I hadn't said anything to him

"Yes, I'd love to," I stated smiling up at him. "Thank you. I'm Bella, by the way," I said leaning forward to shake his hand.

"Emmett," he responded with a dimpled smile shaking my hand. His hand was warm and soft, not what I'd expected at all. We exchanged phone numbers and he promised to call me the next day to set a date. When Rose showed up I couldn't contain my excitement.

"So wait. You've never been out on a date before?" she asked stunned. I shook my head. "Well, why the hell not?" she questioned.

"It's complicated." I sighed.

"Try me," she challenged and so I told her. I wasn't sure I was supposed to, but it felt good to have someone else know what was going on that was a neutral party in all this.

"That's fucked up," she stated after I was done telling her everything.

"Gee, thanks," I scoffed.

"I'm not trying to be rude. It's just not every day that you hear someone is arranged to marry someone else. It sounds like you guys were more like brother and sister than potential lovers."

She was right. It didn't make any sense to anyone else outside our family. I knew my dad's reasons, but I wasn't about to get into any of that with her now.

"Okay, back to the topic at hand. What should I wear?" Rose and I spent the next few hours scouring my closet for the perfect outfit, something that was not too skanky or covered up.

"Yes, that one, that one is perfect," Rose squealed when I tried on the last outfit. It was a white fitted shirt with a gray cardigan and jeans that made my ass look great. I topped the outfit off with gray boots with buckles on the side. I snapped a picture and sent it to Alice who immediately responded with a thumbs up.

The next day I received a text from Emmett asking if I wanted to meet him at the Starbucks down the street from campus. I immediately responded and we agreed to meet there that afternoon at three.

I ordered a Grande Caffe Misto; it was warm and had extra foam just the way I liked it. I sat at a table overlooking the sidewalk and waited. As three became 3:10 I began to worry that I was being stood up. My heart started racing and I began to sweat. How could I possibly think this man would want anything to do with me? I was stupid and naïve. As the time approached 3:15, I began to gather my belongings. I couldn't believe I'd let myself be duped so easily.

Shaking my head at my internal battle, I turned quickly and ran smack into something solid.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled not looking up.

"Bella, it seems that every time I'm around, you're almost getting hurt. I might have to wrap you in bubble wrap," a familiar voice responded with a slight chuckle. I glanced up and saw Emmett standing in front of me. "Sorry I'm late. Coach has been a pain in our butts lately and has us coming in for extra practice. It's annoying." He sat down at the table that I was currently in the process of leaving. "Are you leaving?" he asked.

"No, well, I was going to. Sorry. I thought you weren't showing up." I sat back down and placed my bag back on the floor.

"Yeah, I tried really hard to get here on time. I probably ran over a few students on the way." I couldn't help but laugh at his admission. After he ordered his coffee and sat back at the table our conversation flowed easily. I learned he was originally from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and he was at NYU on a full soccer scholarship. He was studying in the civil engineering program which was the same program Rose told me about.

"I'm in my second year, but I still have three years to go but I'll finish with a double major," he explained. "The program's really tough, but I love it." I told him that my roommate was in the same program but for mechanical engineering. He suggested they meet up sometime so he could show her the ropes and I agreed that was a great idea. I told him I was from Chicago and was there for a business degree.

We agreed to meet up again later that week as he walked me home. When we said goodbye he didn't try to make a move, all he did was hug me goodbye. Part of me was relieved but the other part was disappointed. Why wouldn't he try to kiss me?

_*Sometime in mid November 2003*_

The weeks went by and Emmett and I spent more and more time together. We met for lunch and had dinner. Rose had been swamped with schoolwork and unfortunately had some problems back home that required her to travel there on the weekends.

Emmett never attempted to make a pass at me, but I was more and more relieved each time, which surprised me. He was a really good friend and I didn't want to ruin that with attempting a relationship.

After dinner one night as Emmett walked me home, he was unusually quiet.

"Cat got your tongue?" I asked as we stopped in front of my dorm. I turned around just as Emmett leaned forward and kissed me chastely on the lips. I was completely taken off guard. When he pulled away we glanced at each other and began laughing hysterically.

"Was that as awkward for you as it was for me?" I inquired between laughs.

"Yes, it's what I imagine kissing my sister would be like if I had one." He laughed.

"Hey! It wasn't that bad!" I scoffed but we both laughed again. "Okay, yeah. It was that bad."

After that Emmett and I were the best of friends. Although we hung out as much as we did before, there was no pressure to go any further, and after Emmett met Rose, I knew we would always only remain friends. Rose and Emmett hit it off immediately and were inseparable from day one.

_*Present day*_

After our failed attempt at dating, Emmett had always been there, seeing me through one horrible date after another. And although Alice went to the University of California-Los Angeles to study cinematography, which was clear across the country, she grew close with both Rose and Emmett, as well. I was lucky to have three of the best friends a girl could ever ask for.

"So what's going on, JB?" he asked.

"Nothing." I sighed.

"Don't give me that crap. I've been calling you all week and leaving you messages to let you know Rosie and I were coming for a visit and you look very surprised to see me so I'm assuming you're avoiding your phone for a reason." I didn't have the heart to tell him that I wasn't actually avoiding my phone just anybody that was Edward. "Does it have to do with that Edward guy again?"

"Maybe," I mumbled.

"Spill," he demanded.

"Emmett," I groaned.

"Isabella Marie Swan," he warned just like my father would do.

"Fine!" I exclaimed and told him everything.

"Holy shit," he proclaimed when I was done. "You really did sign the paper work?" I nodded. "I thought you had decided against it?" he asked confused at my sudden change in direction.

"I thought I had, but apparently I hadn't. God, I'm so confused."

"I'll say. I'm confused too. After the way he treated you at his graduation party and then never calling you afterward, I'm surprised you're even speaking to the guy."

"Technically, I'm not speaking to him, not now anyway."

"Any way out of the agreement?" he inquired.

"No, I don't think so. It's just so fucked up. I thought maybe he had changed. People change don't they?"

"Some do, most don't." He reached out and gave me another hug. "Well, Rosie's parking the car. Parking in this city is a bitch."

I laughed. "Why is she parking the car?"

"Because the car she rented is apparently a car that will have my balls chopped off if I even get close to the driver's seat."

"Ah," I stated understanding, Rose and her cars.

"Besides, I wanted to come up and harass you a bit."

"Of course," I said rolling my eyes. Any chance he got, he tried giving me a hard time. As we sat down to catch up, a knock came at the door,

"Come in, Rose, it's open," I shouted but the door remained shut and the knock came again.

"I'll get it," Emmett announced as he bounded toward the door.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"Some dude with flowers," Emmett proclaimed. I looked up to see a gorgeous bouquet of yellow and pink roses being carried by none other than Edward.

"Edward," I squeaked as he walked toward me.

"Isabella," he responded glancing over at Emmett nervously.

"So, you're the infamous Edward I've heard so much about," Emmett stated.

"Yes," Edward said nodding.

"Well, I'm glad you could make it. There are a few things I'd like to discuss with you," Emmett announced as he rolled up his sleeves. I could see Edward visibly flinch and swallow as Emmett approached him.

The popularity of diamonds has risen since the 19th century because of many different reasons: Increased supply, improved cutting and polishing techniques, growth in the world economy, and innovative, successful advertising campaigns.* However, their popularity was plummeting fast in my apartment.

**End A/N**

***.org/wiki/ (source of the diamond fact)**

**Next chapter is EPOV with a lot of back story! Be ready! Please R/R!**

**Thank you to my beta coachlady12! Please go check out her stories on her ff site they are amazing! She has a new one up and its awesome! 2113307/coachlady1**

**Thank you to my prereaders: 84Gemma, Duckynoel, Cherieblossum, and ****tff000! **

**They are all awesome. Plain and simple! **

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**Please check out Cherieblossums fic at /2116857**


	8. Chapter 8 Breakage

**A/N PLEASE READ…**

**Hello all! Good news… here's the next chapter! It's a lot of back story… And the one after this is already with pre-readers! Then off to my loverly beta! **

**Bad news…maybe… I'm going to try and write the next few chapters together. I want to do them justice. I'm not a published author by any means and some reviews have left me disheartened. With that being said I'd really like to make the next few chapters flow as well as possible and writing them all at once helps with that. So there might be a delay but it will be worth the wait! Stick with me! I have my pre-readers on me to make sure I write no worries! **

**Btw all grammar mistakes are my own. I like to tinker! 0_o**

**See my thanks at the end to all those who pre read and my beta! You know I love you all! *muah***

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not a single thing. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. There is no copyright infringement**

EPOV

"_No, Edward. You had a week. A WEEK! No, I don't think so." She huffed. "Fuck you!" she yelled, storming off toward her car. I saw her friends piling into the vehicle; they must have noticed our entire conversation. Garrett was waiting with the door open. She climbed in and seconds later he was driving her away. _

As I watched the tail lights of her car disappear from sight, I knew I had messed up royally. Fuck. How do I fix this?

I contemplated going back into the bar and drinking myself into oblivion. That would be the easy way out. However, I thought better of it. If I wanted to have a real shot with Bella I needed to change my ways and prove to her that this could work, that we could work. I had been keeping my distance from her since I could remember.

_*1997*_

"You wanted to see me, Dad?" I asked entering his office, tossing my basketball back and forth between my hands.

"Yes, son, please shut the door and have a seat," he answered waving to door. I walked back, shutting it, suddenly nervous about our meeting.

"Am I in trouble?" I asked.

"No, you're not. Should you be?" he inquired raising his eyebrows.

"No," I responded. The last thing I had been in trouble for was reading Alice's diary. Although it was very entertaining, it wasn't worth it when I couldn't hang out with my friends for over a month.

"Listen, I called you in here to tell you about a deal Charlie and I have made."

"Okay," I nodded. My father and Charlie were business partners and I had known all my life that I would be taking over the family business when I was older.

"Charlie and I have agreed that you and Isabella will be married sometime in the future to keep the business family run," he stated. I looked at him like he had three heads.

"What?" I asked not sure if I'd heard him correctly.

"We've decided what's best to make sure the business stays family owned is to have you and Isabella marry," he stated again.

"I don't understand," I replied thoroughly dumfounded.

"No, I didn't think you would. The logistics of the deal don't matter at this point, but Charlie and I thought we'd tell you both as soon as possible so you'd be fair warned."

"So Bella knows?" I inquired. I had just seen her yesterday and she hadn't said anything to me.

"Your mother and Charlie are informing her as we speak. I'm sure Alice is there as well."

"I don't get any say in this?" I inquired. This was completely stupid.

"Well, if you want to run the family business when you get older then no, not really," he answered with a stern look obviously not amused with my attitude. I sighed.

"I don't get it, Dad. Why Bella? Why am I being forced to marry her? Isn't there another way to keep the business in the family?" I wasn't sure how I was going to convince him there had to be another way. He seemed pretty adamant.

"Son, now is not the time to get into that. Maybe when you're older I'll explain it in more detail." He stood and began collecting the paperwork he had been working on when I came in. "You know he's our biggest diamond supplier and there is fierce competition out there for his business. It makes sense to us to go this route to keep the business safe. We'll leave it there for now." He walked over to the door opening it and ushering me out.

I was completely and utterly confused. Bella? Little Bella Swan? She was like a little sister to me and I was expected to marry her? Gross.

_*1998*_

It was a Saturday night and my mom and sister had requested my presence. I knew Bella was here and I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting myself into, but I agreed anyway.

It was now a year after we'd found out about the marriage deal and Bella and I acted no different toward each other. I heard through the grapevine that she wasn't overly thrilled about the arrangement but we never sat down and discussed it. It was as if the conversations with our parents had never happened.

As I entered the living room I noticed all the furniture was moved up against the walls, there was music playing in the background, and the lights were turned down low.

"Edward, we are practicing dancing. Bella is your partner," my mother said.

"Um," I replied as my mother thrust Bella into my arms.

"Now, make sure your arms are locked at a ninety-degree angle and move your hips like this," my mother stated as she positioned Bella and me just so.

It was definitely awkward at first. Bella turned a dark shade of red and my hands instantly became sweaty, but as I felt the beat of the song, I began to move and Bella moved accordingly. I felt her body press close to mine.

It was the first time I had held her besides a quick hug here and there, but this time when I did I felt something shift between us. I immediately felt drawn to her and the thought surprised me. I figured it'd feel like dancing with my sister but this was… different. I wasn't sure how but it was.

I looked down and saw her pull her bottom lip between her teeth and look shyly up at me, blushing slightly. It was a look I had seen her do a thousand times before and I knew it meant she was nervous. However, this time I wanted to reach forward and pull her lip out and tell her it was going to be okay and that she had nothing to be worried about.

Odd.

_*1999* _

"Damn it, Edward!" Alice screamed at me when I came up from doing a cannonball into the pool. I chuckled softly at her livid face. I loved pissing her off. She was attempting to sunbathe and I was doing everything I could to make her mad.

"Sorry, Alice!" I yelled. "Didn't mean to, I swear." I grinned over at her as I climbed out.

"Whatever, ass," she proclaimed standing up and shaking out her towel.

"Language, young lady!" I stated acting shocked.

"I learned from the best." She smiled. That she did. I heard the door from the patio open and saw Bella walk out with a towel wrapped around her.

After our dancing lesson with my mom and sister the year before my feelings toward Bella changed. I was increasingly more interested in what she was doing and where she was going. I wanted to know what her favorite book was and her favorite song. I wanted to know her.

She still hung out at the house with Alice almost every day and I always wanted to join them but most of the time I stayed on the sideline. I wasn't sure how to approach my new found interest in her. She was a mystery me. So I stayed behind and observed.

I asked her questions about school and congratulated her when she got the lead role in the school play. I hugged her when she got straight A's, and when it was her birthday, I kissed her cheek. When I was home, I made it a point to sit and talk to her.

I just loved being next to her, watching her face light up when she talked passionately about something she loved. I wasn't sure what more I should do. I didn't want to overwhelm her, but I was curious about her. I wanted to spend more and more time with her each time I saw her and I didn't know how to handle it. Even though we were still arranged to get married, I didn't want to force our relationship.

I was hoping that our families would change their minds because Bella deserved better than that. She deserved better than me.

_*Graduation Party June 9, 2001* _

Graduation.

Finally.

I was looking forward to my trip to Europe and then heading to college. The last year had been hell for me.

I had decided to keep my distance from Bella as much as I could. Although I wanted nothing more than to spend time getting to know her, I wanted Bella to have a chance at a happy life. Not a forced one.

I cared about her but this arrangement was wrong on so many levels. I hoped our families would see that and then Bella could be free to marry whomever she wanted. However, my decision didn't stop me from watching her from afar and groaning anytime some loser made a pass at her. No one at this school was good enough for her.

She had attended my graduation with my parents and Alice. As always she looked absolutely gorgeous. It took all my energy not to leave the stands and go to her. She fit into our family like a puzzle it was true, but I still knew I needed to stay away.

I was currently heading to my graduation party. I was late as usual, but I didn't really care. As I made my way inside, I stopped and talked to a bunch of people and quickly downed a few drinks handed to me. It seemed as if the entire school had shown up. This was going to be an epic party.

I was heading to the back porch to grab some more beer when I saw Tanya off to the side. I reached out to her and wrapped my arms around her. I leaned forward and kissed her softly. Apparently, the drinks had gone straight to both my heads because I grinned like a fool at her. Tanya was pretty and there for me when I wanted to fill the void. I felt bad for using her but she didn't seem to mind. She knew where we stood. It was an easy give-take relationship.

I tucked her into my side leading her to the deck. I needed a few more drinks then I'd take our party upstairs. Maybe I could convince her to give me head.

"Hey, brother!" I heard Alice squeal, running at me and giving me a hug.

"Alice, what are you doing here?" I asked glaring at her. I couldn't believe she was here at my party. She knew it was for seniors only.

"Bella and I are crashing your party, silly. You didn't think that we were going to let you have all the fun without us did you?" At the mention of her name, I glanced over at Bella. I hadn't noticed her standing there and I wasn't sure how I hadn't. Apparently, Alice had gotten her hands on her because she was dressed in some sort of Catholic schoolgirl get up. I immediately looked back at Alice, wanting to yell at her for putting Bella in that stupid outfit.

"Alice, you can't stay here. Mom and Dad made it clear that this was for the seniors only." I sighed. I didn't want Bella here. She was too good for this. And the way she looked I knew she was going to get too much negative attention.

"Whatever, Edward, why don't you have another drink and go away," Alice stated, narrowing her eyes at me. I scoffed at her statement because I knew it was futile to fight with her and grabbed another beer.

I spun Tanya around and kissed her; she groaned at my assault. The noise made me want to cringe. Why was I kissing her again? Oh yeah, she was easy and I had an itch. I knew it was wrong, but my dick overruled my mind sometimes.

Trying to get out of the situation, I decided to play some beer pong. Hopefully, this would sufficiently keep my mind off Bella's outfit. It worked for a little while, but every once in a while I wondered where Bella was and what she was doing. Tanya had run off somewhere but I knew she would be back soon so I took the time and went in search of Bella. I felt like an asshole for kissing Tanya in front of her. Though we weren't together I wouldn't want to see her make out with anyone in front of me. I needed to apologize for sure.

As I searched around, Ludacris's song "What's Your Fantasy" came on. I actually really liked this song. I continued my search when my eyes scanned the dance floor I found Bella… with Mike.

Mike was an asshole. He loved preying on young, innocent girls just to turn around and break their hearts once they gave up their virginity to him. I suddenly saw red. There was a war raging inside of me. I knew I had no right to take her from Mike especially since I had planned on being with Tanya later, but I couldn't let her be with him. He was no good for her.

I saw her glance around desperately, it looked as though she was trying to escape. That's when she caught my eye. She turned quickly and wrapped her arms around Mike's neck and pulled his face closer to hers. If I didn't know any better I would think she was doing this on purpose to torture me.

I couldn't watch any longer I had to get her away from him. With her being in that outfit, acting the way she was there would be no stopping Mike especially if he was drunk. As I approached I saw his hands lowering to her ass and I saw her visibly cringe.

"Um, Mike, thanks for the dance but I really should be going now," I heard her state as she tried to twist out of his embrace.

"What? No! We just started dancing! Let me show you a good time," he replied, his hand firmly gripping her ass tighter and pressing her against him harder. I reached forward then and ripped her from his grasp.

"That won't be necessary, Mike," I pointed out, tucking Bella to my side.

"Ah, come on, Edward. Bella and I were having a good time. Weren't we, Bella?" She flinched.

"The lady said she was done. Now leave." I glared at Mike effectively getting my point across.

"Alright, man, whatever. See you around, Bella," he responded, winking at her before he turned back toward the party. I wrapped my arm around her and led her up the stairs. I couldn't believe that asshole had his hands on her and why would Bella let him. She knew of his reputation.

"How much have you had to drink, Bella?" I asked.

"Not sure. Five maybe?" she answered, obviously not sure.

"Five?" I exclaimed. "Jesus, Bella." No wonder she was letting him touch her like that.

I walked her down the hallway and took her toward the guest room. As much as I wanted to take care of her in my room, I knew I couldn't. I opened the door and escorted her in. I sat her down on the bed and began taking her shoes off. She was in no shape to do it herself.

"I can't believe you've had so much to drink. I'm going to kill Alice," I whispered dropping her shoes to floor. "Stay right here. Don't move," I demanded as I turned to go into the bathroom. I needed to get her some Tylenol and water. She was going to be hurting tomorrow that was for sure. I returned and handed them to her. "Take these," I said. She took them both with no hesitation and downed the water instantly. When I realized how fast she'd drunk the water, I left to get her another glass. I placed it on the nightstand and turned toward her. "Okay, get into the bed," she obliged without a fight.

As she pulled the covers over herself, I saw how cute and vulnerable she really was. When I leaned forward to kiss her forehead, she turned her head causing my lips to kiss hers instead. I pulled back immediately, completely shocked by her move.

"Kiss me, Edward," she moaned. "Please," she begged as she linked her hands around my neck and pulled me down to her. She brought her lips to mine again but this time I didn't pull away.

I really wanted to kiss her and I was tired of fighting it.

When she pushed her tongue out and trailed it along my bottom lip, silently asking him for permission, I opened up for her, groaning against her as our tongues tangled together. The kiss grew more frantic, her hands were tugging at my hair on the back of my neck. I held her hips tightly, my fingers digging into her skin. I was sure I would leave a mark.

I started to make my way under her shirt. Her skin was soft. As I began making my way to her chest she groaned.

At the noise I froze and withdrew from her body. I broke our kiss and sat back on the bed. What was I doing? I couldn't be with her like this. Fuck. She was drunk. I couldn't do that to her. I looked over at her and sighed.

"Bella, we can't do this," I stated.

"And why not?" she asked pulling the sheets up around her neck, her eyes filling with rejection. Didn't she realize that this was wrong?

"Because we can't," I snapped jumping off the bed.

"I don't get it, Edward. Why not? We'll be married at some point; we need to practice." At that I growled. I knew she was doing this because she felt like she had to. This arrangement was fucking with our heads.

"Bella, you don't know what you're talking about. Go to sleep," I replied. I had to get out of there.

"Why are you fighting this? You know it's going to happen."

"No, it won't, not like this. Now go to bed," I demanded and with that I walked out the door. Did she really think that I would take her like this? Was my reputation that bad? I might play the field and get with easy girls but that was because they were easy. It didn't take much effort or thought. Bella deserved more than this. She deserved love and affection. A chance to be with someone she wasn't forced to be with.

I ran back down the stairs to the party. I grabbed a few drinks and chugged them. I needed to calm down. I couldn't believe Bella had just thrown herself at me like that. I tried to keep my distance to let her live her life, but I felt like somehow I had failed. Maybe being away from her for college would be good for her, and hopefully, by then our parents would drop this stupid idea of arranged marriage.

The party was dying down so I decided to head back upstairs. I didn't care to be with Tanya anymore, or anyone for that matter. As I approached my room I saw a figure out in the hallway next to my door. I immediately thought it was Bella but as I got closer I realized it was Tanya.

"Tanya?" I asked. "What are you doing?"

"Kiss me, Edward," she whispered. She got on her tiptoes and kissed me. I could tell that she was really drunk.

"Take me, please," she pleaded. I knew I had to get her out of the hallway before Bella woke up. I paused and looked toward the guest room. The door was slightly opened but I didn't see any movement.

"My room," I whispered opening the door and pulling Tanya in.

"Tanya, I can't do this."

"Oh come on, Eddie. You came on to me and now you're denying me?" she pouted. I hated when she called me Eddie.

"I'm sorry to lead you on Tanya but I can't," I answered.

"But this might be our last chance together." She reached up and tried to pull me toward her, but I backed away.

"What part of 'no' don't you understand?" I asked. She was really starting to piss me off. Usually, if I wasn't in the mood she'd go running to someone else.

"Edward, what the fuck? I thought you wanted me. You kissed me so passionately downstairs in front of everyone."

Apparently, our no-effort, no-thought relationship had just come back to bite me in the ass. Fuck.

"Why don't you go find some other guy to blow? I said no."

"Whatever, Edward. You're an asshole." She threw open my door and stormed off.

The next morning I waited in the kitchen after breakfast. I needed to see if Bella was okay. Finally, Alice came waltzing in half an hour later sans Bella.

"Where's Bella?" I asked. Was she still asleep?

"She left last night apparently." Alice shrugged grabbing a plate from the cupboard.

"What do you mean apparently she left last night? You don't know?"

"She left me a note," she replied turning around. "Geez, relax, Edward, will you. What's gotten into you?"

"Did she make it home okay? How'd she get there?"

"What's with the third degree? Yes, she made it home okay. She walked. She texted me this morning to make sure I got her note." I sighed relieved. Then my mind went back to the night before. When had she left? I didn't see her downstairs after I tucked her in and I didn't see her before I went into my room. And why did she leave? Was she angry?

I contemplated going over there to talk with her, but then I remembered that I needed to keep my distance. It took everything in me not to go to her. To make sure she was okay.

This was for the best.

*Present day*

That night, after Bella left me on the sidewalk, I went back to my apartment and tossed and turned. I needed to go to her and apologize for everything. For being an ass tonight, for thinking that I knew what was best for us.

I had gone about our relationship all wrong. I should have adored her from the day I noticed things had changed between us. Instead, I'd fought my feelings thinking they were wrong, that I was wrong for her. Thinking she deserved better.

I needed to prove to her that I was good for her, that I could be good for her, that we could work it out with or without an arrangement.

When I finally got a few hours of sleep, I woke up and went straight to the florist. I did some research beforehand and got yellow and pink roses. They apparently meant that I was sorry and that I adored her, exactly the message I was attempting to send. I was hoping she would like the gesture even though I knew flowers wouldn't fix us, but I needed to start somewhere.

I found out where she lived from Alice, promising not to cause any more trouble. When I approached her door my stomach flipped. What if she told me it was over? There was no chance for us? I swallowed and knocked.

"Come in, Rose, it's open," I heard Bella shout. Obviously, she thought I was Rose. I stayed quiet for a moment then knocked again to inform her that I wasn't who she was expecting.

"I'll get it," I heard a man announce. A man? Who the fuck was that? The door was flung open and a tall, muscular man stood in my view.

"Who is it?" Bella asked from behind him.

"Some dude with flowers," the man proclaimed. I walked in a little bit to see Bella on the couch still in her pajamas.

"Edward," she squeaked as I walked toward her.

"Isabella," I responded glancing over at the large man nervously. Who was he?

"So, you're the infamous Edward I've heard so much about," he stated. Shit.

"Yes," I said nodding.

"Well, I'm glad you could make it. There are a few things I'd like to discuss with you," he announced as he began to roll up his sleeves. I flinched and swallowed as he approached me; whatever he gave to me, I deserved.

"Emmett!" Bella screamed. "Don't hurt him!"

"I'm only giving him what he deserves, Bella."

"No, please don't."

"He's right, Bella. I deserve to be hit," I stated. Both Bella and the man who was apparently Emmett turned to look at me in disbelief.

"What are you talking about?" Bella inquired.

"Listen, Bella, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. If you'll give me a chance I'd really like to explain everything and start over. If that means having Emmett punch me then so be it." She stared at me not believing a word I'd said.

"So be it then," Emmett proclaimed right before he clocked me in the face. I went down like a sack of flour. Last thing I heard was Bella screaming at Emmett and asking me repeatedly if I was okay. Was I?

Somewhat related to hardness is another mechanical property _toughness_, which is a material's ability to resist breakage from forceful impact. The toughness of a natural diamond is high. This value is good compared to other gemstones, but poor compared to most engineering materials. As with any material, the macroscopic geometry of a diamond contributes to its resistance to breakage*…In some orientations a diamond is more fragile than others.

Would we survive this attempt at breakage? Only time would tell.

**End A/N**

***.org/wiki/ (source of the diamond fact)**

**Hope that explained some things… I did have to go back in previous chapter and tweak just a little to make this chapter fit.**

**Please R/R!**

**Thank you to my beta coachlady12! Please go check out her stories on her ff site they are amazing! She has a new one up and it's awesome! **2113307/coachlady1

**Thank you to my prereaders: 84Gemma, Duckynoel, Cherieblossum, and ****tff000! **

**They are all awesome. Plain and simple! **

**Please check out 84Gemmas lovely polyvore's for the fic on my profile. **

**Please check out Cherieblossums fic at **/2116857


	9. Chapter 9 Strength

**A/N **

**Hello again! I have great news! I've reworked the outline for this fic and determined it will be about 30 chapters give or take. The next chapter is well on its way and I hope to have it posted in the next week. When we get into more difficult chapter I'll take longer to give them justice but just know that I am working on it. Thank you all for the heart-felt reviews. ILY all! **

**Btw all grammar mistakes are my own. I like to tinker! 0_o**

**See my thanks at the end to all those who pre read and my beta! You know I love you all! *muah***

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not a single thing. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. There is no copyright infringement**

BPOV

"_Who is it?" I asked. _

"_Some dude with flowers," Emmett proclaimed. I looked up to see a gorgeous bouquet of yellow and pink roses being carried by none other than Edward. _

"_Edward," I squeaked as he walked toward me. _

"_Isabella," he responded glancing over at Emmett nervously. _

"_So, you're the infamous Edward I've heard so much about," Emmett stated. _

"_Yes," Edward said nodding. _

"_Well, I'm glad you could make it. There are a few things I'd like to discuss with you," Emmett announced as he rolled up his sleeves. I could see Edward visibly flinch and swallow as Emmett approached him. _

"_Emmett!" I screamed. "Don't hurt him!" _

"_I'm only giving him what he deserves, Bella." _

"_No, please don't." _

"_He's right, Bella. I deserve to be hit," Edward stated. I looked at him in disbelief. Was he really just signing his death warrant? _

"_What are you talking about?" I inquired. _

"_Listen, Bella I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. If you'll give me a chance I'd really like to explain everything and start over. If that means having Emmett punch me then so be it." I stared at him not believing a word he said. _

"_So be it then," Emmett proclaimed right before he clocked Edward in the face. Edward went down fast and didn't even attempt to defend himself._

"Emmett! What the fuck!" I screamed glaring at him then looking back to Edward. "Edward, Edward, you okay? Can you hear me? Edward, are you alright?" I screeched. His nose was bleeding and was probably broken all thanks to my best friend.

"What? He said it was okay. You don't know how long I've waited to do that," Emmett said proudly as Rose appeared in the doorway with a confused look on her face. She looked between Emmett and me then to Edward.

"I'm guessing this is Edward," she stated not even fazed. "Did you really have to punch him?" she asked Emmett exasperated.

"What! He deserved it. He even said it was okay," Emmett protested. I rolled my eyes at both of them.

"Please help him to the couch. I'm going to get him some ice," I demanded before running into the kitchen and grabbing a hand towel. I wrapped some ice inside the towel and came back into the living room. I saw Emmett helping Edward up whispering something in his ear. All Edward did was nod in agreement. Emmett went from punching him in the face to whispering in his ear, strange.

I walked over and placed the towel gently on Edward's nose; he winced away from the pain momentarily, but then sighed and leaned back as I applied pressure. After cleaning up his nose a bit it didn't look as bad as it could have been. Emmett was a pretty big guy and had a good swing.

"JB, can I speak to you for a moment?" Emmett asked nodding in the direction of the hallway. I glared at him wondering what in the world he had to talk about. He was using my nickname so he obviously wanted something. I nodded curtly.

"Edward, can you hold this for a moment? I'll be right back okay?" He nodded, bringing his hands up to his nose and grabbing the towel from me.

I walked out into the hallway with Emmett, Rose close behind.

"Sorry I had to deck him Bells, but he asked for it and honestly the man's got some balls if you ask me," he pointed out.

"Is that why you called me out here to tell me that he's cool now because he let you punch him?" I inquired flabbergasted. _I_ was ready to punch someone.

"No, no. I called you out here to tell you that Rose and I are going to head out. You guys obviously have some stuff to discuss and we need to get checked into our hotel room before too late."

"You guys know you can stay here or with my dad. He has plenty of room. You don't have to get a room somewhere," I insisted.

"It's alright, JB. Me and Rosie have some catching up to do." He emphasized this by waggling his eyebrows. "Besides, you seem like you guys need some time to catch up, too." He winked.

"Whatever," I huffed not needing to know the inner workings of my friend's dirty mind. "I'll give you guys a call later and maybe we can meet up this week? I can't believe you guys are in town!" I proclaimed excitedly, hugging them both.

"Yes, and for two weeks so we'll definitely plan something," Rose vowed.

"Absolutely," I assured grabbing them in hugs.

"Oh, and, Bells, don't be too hard on him okay? Maybe just hear him out?" Emmett proclaimed.

"Em, what the hell are you talking about? You just clocked the guy not even ten minutes ago and now you're asking _me_ to go easy on him?" I asked confused.

"I know it's confusing but it takes balls to let someone punch them and then not even try to defend themselves. He obviously means it. That's all I'm saying." He leaned forward and gave me another hug. Rose nodded and kissed my cheek.

"We'll talk soon," she whispered and then they were gone and I was left to deal with Edward and his bloody nose. I really hoped I didn't have to take him to the hospital.

I walked back into the living room. Edward was now sitting up with the ice pack off his face, examining his nose with his fingers.

"Is it broken, you think?" I asked approaching him slowly.

"No, I don't think so. Your friend has a mean right hook, though," he admitted placing the icepack on the table.

"Yeah, sorry about that… he's a little overprotective of me," I explained sitting down next to him.

"I can tell," he answered leaning back. "Well, I think it'll just bruise. I'll have a swollen face for a while but that's okay. I asked for it," he advised.

"No, it's not okay!" I exclaimed. "He didn't have to punch you to prove a point."

"No, he did. And I'm glad he did. I respect him more now." I looked at him like he was crazy.

"Men, I'll never figure you guys out." I sighed rolling my eyes. Edward just chuckled at my response.

"So, I'm sorry to come over here unannounced. I just wanted to apologize to you for… well, for everything."

"Oh yeah. Thank you for my flowers by the way. They are beautiful." I grabbed them up and took them into the kitchen to put them in water.

"I wasn't sure what flowers were your favorites but these have special meanings," he murmured.

"Like what?" I inquired.

"You'll have to find out." He chuckled again.

"Or you can just tell me?"

"No, where is the fun in that?" I rolled my eyes again. "You seem to like to roll your eyes a lot," he observed.

"Well, when there's complete ridiculousness around it's hard not to," I snipped setting the flowers down on the table and sitting on the arm of the couch away from Edward. "Why are you here, Edward?" I asked.

He sat up straighter and turned toward me. "As I was saying when I got here, I'm sorry for everything. And if you'll give me a chance, I would love to explain and maybe start over." He looked over at me gauging my reaction.

"I'm not sure, Edward. What happened the last few weeks hasn't shown me anything different or anything good for that matter," I claimed.

"Please, I promise if you don't like what I have to say we'll find a way out of the arrangement. I just want to give us the proper chance to make this work."

"You've had the last few weeks to give us a chance." I sighed. Did he think I would just forget about Jane and the lack of phone calls for a week, then the incident in the club? I didn't think so.

"I know. I've been an asshole and I'll be the first to admit it, but I'd like a chance to explain. Can you give me that at least? Just talk? We can go somewhere public and you can leave whenever you want. I'll have Garrett wait by the exit." I pondered his plan. It didn't sound too bad but I needed time to figure it out.

"Can you give me some time? I need to think about it," I admitted.

"Absolutely, take all the time you need. I'll be here." He stood up and kissed my forehead. "Give me a call when you want to talk, okay?" And with that he was gone leaving me tons to think about.

Two days later I was sitting in Alice's kitchen having lunch.

"I don't know, Alice. He had time and he didn't even bother to call all week." I sat at her kitchen table and ate my sandwich.

Since Edward requested we meet up I've heard from practically everyone that I should give him a chance and it was quite annoying. Even Emmett called about meeting up and told me to give him a chance, him of all people.

"I mean, seriously, was it really that hard?" I looked over at Alice who was now looking down shyly. Something was up. "Alice, what do you know?" I asked.

"Don't be mad," she warned and I knew what I was about to hear I wasn't going to like.

"Alice, tell me," I urged.

"Well, Mom and I told Edward not to contact you. Not until the shit with Kate was over with. Mom had to have a conversation with her and make sure that she understood her place. She asked Edward to keep his distance from you until everything was squared away with her just in case she decided to go psycho again."

"What the hell are you talking about, Alice?" I inquired. Was that the crazy, screaming chick I heard in the background when he called?

"Kate. She came over to Edward's the night of your dinner. I'm not sure how she knew, but she knew you guys had plans and she flipped. She wanted to ruin his plans. That's why she went over there when she did. We figured she'd continue to try ruining any plans you guys set up so Mom requested that Edward not plan anything with you so we could get control of her." I listened and tried to understand everything she was telling me.

"Who is Kate?" I asked cautiously. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to know.

"You should probably talk to Edward about her," she instructed, yet someone else who wanted me to talk to him. I wanted to talk to him before but then he'd ignored me for so long, but I guess this would explain why.

"But why couldn't he call me at least then? What kept him from doing that?" It only took two seconds to call and say let's plan something soon. Or tell me he had something come up and he couldn't do anything for a while. I would've understood. Or at least I'd like to think I would've.

"Mom thought it best that he just text and not call. She was afraid that if he'd call he'd plan something with you without having Kate being taken care of. Or he'd say something in the heat of the moment and upset you. He was pretty upset about the whole situation. I'm sorry," she replied looking down again.

"You realize that you interfered too much, right? I was sitting there waiting to hear from him and hearing nothing, thinking the worst," I expressed, standing up from the table, grabbing my empty plate.

"I know and I'm sorry. We thought we were helping."

"Alice, I love you both, you know that. You're like a sister to me and Esme is my mom for all intents and purposes but please don't get involved again," I begged.

"Okay." She nodded looking at me. I knew that look. She felt bad but it didn't mean that she wouldn't meddle again.

Later on that day I finally decided to call Edward. I got his number again from Alice. I had deleted it before because I was so angry at him. It only rang twice before he picked up.

"Bella," he answered sounding tired.

"Hey, did I wake you?" I looked at the clock and realized it was only eight o'clock.

"No, no. It's just been a long few days. I was hoping you would call me."

"Yeah," I mumbled not sure how to continue the conversation.

"So, are you able to talk?" he asked hopefully.

"Okay," I responded lamely.

"You decide when and where, but it'll me my treat," he urged. I decided to start at a small café that way there wouldn't be too many people if things got ugly.

"Do you know the Grand Lux Café on Michigan Ave?"

"Yes," he answered.

"Tomorrow at one o'clock. I'll meet you there," I decided waiting to hear his objection.

"Okay, see you then." He paused before murmuring, "Good bye, Isabella," then disconnected the call.

**Diamonds have the highest tensile strength of any material; however, that doesn't quite translate into the strongest, as diamonds have numerous cleavage panes which support crack propagation. **

I was hoping that we had the strength to make it through this.

**End A/N**

***.org/wiki/ (source of the diamond fact)**

**I'm hoping the diamond fact will stand out more … let me know. It was requested to change to a different font. **

**This was pretty much a filler chapter but hope it works. Each chapter has a plan! Lol Please R/R!**

**Thank you to my beta coachlady12! Please go check out her stories on her ff site they are amazing! She has a new one up and it's awesome! **2113307/coachlady1

**Thank you to my pre-readers: 84Gemma, ****tff000! **

**They are awesome. Plain and simple! **

**Please check out 84Gemmas lovely polyvore's for the fic on my profile. **

**Let me know if you like to be a pre-reader! I'd love to hear your opinion. Just let me know. **


	10. Chapter 10 Processes

**A/N **

**Hi loveys! Here's EPOV! I'm hoping this answers some questions…Probably not all of them though, but hang in there with me. We are getting to the good parts. Promise! ;) **

**Btw all grammar mistakes are my own. I like to tinker! 0_o**

**See my thanks at the end to all those who pre read and my beta! You know I love you all! *muah***

Also check out my awesome banner that Christag_banner made me! (remove the spaeces) http:/ christagbanners. / ?zx=b2460cf161106203

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not a single thing. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. There is no copyright infringement intended.**

EPOV

It was only eight o'clock but I was mentally and physically exhausted. The last few weeks have been difficult to say the least.

Everything from Jane, to Kate, to the club had taken its toll on me, and although I was tired beyond belief, I still couldn't sleep. It had been two days since I'd seen Bella and asked for a chance to explain everything. I was hoping that she would call. Kate had ruined our first opportunity to reconcile, and I was really hoping to get a second chance.

I still couldn't believe Kate had showed up like she did. Somehow she knew that I had plans with another girl.

The next day when my parents and Alice showed up they questioned Eric, the doorman, and he confirmed that when Kate showed up that night she was screaming at him to let her in because she knew I was going on a date. So because I hadn't informed the staff of my building not to allow her in, he hastily opened the door for her.

When we heard what she told him we knew for sure something had to be done.

"Son, I think it's best that you not set a date with Bella until this situation is resolved," my dad suggested. I nodded my head in agreement. I wasn't sure what Kate was capable of. Showing up at the restaurant? Contacting Bella before I had a chance to explain anything? No, I definitely didn't want to risk that.

"You probably shouldn't contact Bella either until everything has blown over. Maybe by text but just let it be for now," my mother stated with Alice nodding beside her.

"Why?" I asked. Is it really necessary to not talk to her?

"Because, Edward, we know you. We know you'll get to talking to her; she'll ask you what happened or ask to reschedule and you'll cave. It's best to let Mom and Dad deal with Kate, and as soon as they do, you can move forward without any more interruptions and explain everything to Bella in person."

I guess she had a point. I would probably call Bella and immediately tell her that my crazy ex had barged in here begging me to take her back or something along those lines, a conversation that needed to be done in person, and since I was banned from seeing her until Kate was handled, texting it was.

My parents had Kate over to the house a few days after her outburst. What the conversation entailed I had no clue, but again I assumed she'd been paid off. That's all she wanted out of me anyway, my money.

As I was flipping through channels on the TV attempting to free my mind, my phone rang. Looking at the caller ID I saw Bella's name come up and my heart began to race.

"Bella," I answered knowing I must have sounded as tired as I felt.

"Hey, did I wake you?" she asked.

"No, no. It's just been a long few days. I was hoping you would call me." I'm not sure if that was the right thing to say, but I really had been hoping she would.

"Yeah," she mumbled not saying anything more.

"So, are you able to talk?" I asked hoping she'd called to tell me we could meet up.

"Okay," she responded quietly. She didn't sound too enthusiastic, but I knew what the reason was.

"You decide when and where, but it'll my treat," I urged.

"Do you know the Grand Lux Café on Michigan Ave?" she asked. I knew that place. It was small but public, the perfect setting to meet.

"Yes," I answered.

"Tomorrow at one o'clock. I'll meet you there," she paused. Was she waiting for me to disagree?

"Okay, see you then," I replied pausing before murmuring, "Good bye, Isabella," then disconnected the call.

There were so many other things I wanted to say to her but I knew that I shouldn't. It would have to wait until we could finally sit and talk.

After finally getting some rest, I found myself the next day on my way to the café early. I wanted to make sure I was there before Bella. I slid into the velvet green booth and waited.

Right at one she walked in looking absolutely beautiful. She was wearing a simple green tank top, tight jeans, and heels. As she got closer I noticed she had on our black pearl flower ring that was encrusted with diamonds; it was from my family's exclusive line, Reanit.

"Hi," she said as I stood up to greet her. She slid into the booth and grabbed a menu.

"Hi," I replied. "I'm glad that you could make it." She nodded. We sat in silence for a few moments, both scanning the menu. I was desperately trying to think of something to say but was failing. The waitress came over then to take our order.

"What can I get you?" she asked looking at me first. I looked at Bella and saw her eyes grow wider. She looked surprised then almost pissed.

"Ladies first," I replied still staring at Bella. She began to bite her lip.

"Umm," she said shaking her head lightly. "I'll have the lunch soup and salad and a water."

"And I'll have the BBQ chicken pizza and a water." The waitress nodded staring at me briefly then took our menus and walked away. Bella sighed.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I guess," she shrugged.

"Please talk to me," I urged. I really wanted to know what she was thinking. It was moments like this I wished I could read her mind. She sighed again.

"Does that happen everywhere you go?" she inquired nodding her head in the direction of the waitress.

"Does what happen?" I asked. I was completely confused.

"Girls hitting on you."

"What girls?"

"The waitress," she answered. "Don't tell me you didn't even notice."

"Notice what?"

"Oh my God, you are completely oblivious," she chuckled. I raised my eyebrows hoping that she would explain. "Well, I guess it's better than you knowing and using it for your benefit."

"I don't follow." I sighed running my hands through my hair.

"That waitress was totally hitting on you and right in front of me."

"What? No she wasn't." Was she?

"Yes, she was. She didn't even acknowledge me when she approached us then she stared at you before she left."

I thought back to a few moments before. I did think it was odd that the waitress asked for my order first but I figured it was because I had gotten there first.

"Nah, I don't think so," I said shaking my head.

"You don't even realize when you dazzle people do you?"

"Dazzle?" Well, that was a new word.

"Yes, dazzle. You have girls fawning all over you with just one look."

I thought about what she had just said. Was it true? I believed I was just lucky but looking back I realized maybe it was true, maybe I did 'dazzle' girls. I frowned. The waitress returned with our waters and lingered on my side a beat longer than necessary and right before she turned to leave she winked at me. Was she being serious?

"I'm sorry," I sighed. "…for everything." Bella looked at me studying my face and nodding. "I'm not sure where to begin. There's so much I want to tell you."

"Why don't you start at the beginning?" she suggested. So I did. I told her everything. I told her how I felt dancing in the living room that day back when I was fifteen. How from then on I wanted to get to know her, but I didn't want her to feel obligated because of the marriage contract.

As I explained she sat there and patiently listened. When I was done I looked at her and noticed she was gnawing on her lip again.

"So let me get this straight. You've liked me since you were fifteen but avoided me because you thought I deserved better?" she inquired. I nodded. She was quiet again obviously processing the information I had provided her. "What happened at the graduation party? We kissed and then you turned me down. I thought you didn't like me," she murmured.

I sighed. "Bella, you were drunk. I wasn't about to do anything with you. I'm still upset that that's how our first kiss happened."

"What about Tanya?"

"Who?"

"Tanya the girl from your graduation party," she clarified.

"Oh, umm, what about her?"

"Did you sleep with her? I saw you two in the hallway kissing," she admitted. I was hoping she hadn't seen us.

"I had slept with her before that, but I didn't sleep with her the night of the graduation party."

"Why not? Isn't that what you had planned on doing?" she asked.

"It was my original plan when I got to the party, but then you and I kissed, and I didn't want to anymore."

"Because of me?"

"Yes, because of you," I answered.

"Who's Kate?"

My eyes widened at the mention of her name. I'm guessing Alice must have told her."She's my ex-girlfriend."

"But she's still coming around?"

"No, not anymore, she was but that's been… taken care of," I stated hesitantly. I knew I needed to be honest but the whole situation was odd and I probably looked like an immature ass.

"How recent has she become an 'ex-girlfriend?'"

"The day before we signed our agreement," I mumbled.

"The day before?" she restated.

"Yes," I agreed.

"How long were you guys together?"

"About a year…"

"A year? Wow," she replied. "How'd you break it off?"

"I told her that it wasn't working out. She knew that we weren't that serious."

"But you dated for a year," she reiterated.

"Yes, but most of that time I was breaking it off just to have her turn around and beg me to come back."

"Why'd you take her back?"

"I don't know," I said in all honesty. "I guess because for the most part the relationship was mindless. She was just there."

"Did you love her?"

"No, I cared about her as a person, but I never loved her."

"What about Jane?" I knew this was coming.

"Not an ex-girlfriend. Just an ex-'friend'," I assured her.

"When did you guys see each other?"

"On one of the breaks between Kate and myself," I explained.

"Recently?"

"Umm maybe about three months ago…"

"Does _she_ come around anymore?"

"No, she doesn't."

"She looked quite content with you at the lawyer's office," she pointed out. I closed my eyes and exhaled.

"She wants to come around but I don't want her to. She saw me at the lawyer's office and took it upon herself to say hi," I explained.

"That's how she says hi?"

"I guess so. I told her that day to mind her business and leave me alone. I'm pretty sure she got the hint," I said.

"Are you going to have any other 'ex-girlfriends' or 'ex-friends' coming over to say 'hi' anymore?"

"I don't know. I have a few exes and to be honest, those two were the most recent. I haven't seen the others in awhile, but I guess it could happen. They do live here." Bella looked down at her hands. "Listen, Bella, I have a past," I responded clearing my throat and looking at her. She looked up at me, her eyes searching mine. "But that's what it is, the past. It isn't part of my present or my future." She nodded.

"So where does that leave us?" she questioned.

"I'm hoping that we can start again. Do this properly. Would it be okay if I took you out?"

"Like on a date?"

"Yes, a date," I answered.

"Isn't this a date?" she laughed.

"No, an actual date. Where we dress up and go out."

"Okay," she mumbled but then smiled. "That would be nice."

"So then I'll pick you up at eight?"

"Tonight?" she squeaked.

"Yes, tonight." I reached over and grabbed her hand. "Bella, I don't want to wait any longer."

There are various processes and sheer effort that goes into bringing a diamond to its finished stage. However, the actual processes are mostly unknown. I was determined to do this right this time no matter how long it took…

**A/N **

**Okay… slightly short but we are on track! Where do you think he should take her for dinner?**

**The next few chapters we'll be seeing all the characters more and perhaps these two grow? Maybe?:D I have grand plans and I hope I can pull it off for y'all…*bites nails* **

**Please R/R! I'm sorry I didn't get to review reply last chapter but I will this one! Promise! :D**

**Thank you to my beta coachlady12! Please go check out her stories on her ff site they are amazing! She has a new one up and it's awesome! **2113307/coachlady1

**And thank you to tff000 for checking over my tinkering!**

Thank you to my pre-readers: 84Gemma, tff000, Themys_, and MrsKarlsson_81

**They are awesome. Plain and simple! **

**Please check out 84Gemmas lovely polyvore's for the fic on my profile. **


	11. Chapter 11 Transition

**A/N **

**Hi! Here's the long awaited date! **

**WC's planned all this week. Hope to crank out chapter by next week then you know off to pre-readers…then beta…:D but will post ASAP!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not a single thing. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. There is no copyright infringement intended.**

BPOV

Eight o' clock… he wanted to meet back up at eight o' clock...

As I left the restaurant, I immediately dialed the one person I knew could help me in such a short notice.

"Alice, I need your help to spruce me up for a date. Meet me at my place in an hour," I spewed as soon as she answered. I hung up before she could respond. I needed her style critique and her enthusiasm ASAP.

I approached my awaiting car, Garrett giving me a half smile and a nod as I climbed in. I couldn't believe the conversation I'd just had with Edward. He seriously thought he was looking out for me?

When I'd entered the restaurant, I honestly hadn't known what to expect. Part of me wasn't even sure he'd show but when I saw him sitting in the booth waiting for me my heart instantly skipped a beat. He was here and I wasn't sure I was ready for what he had to say.

He didn't disappoint, though. He laid everything out on the table. Answered every question I threw at him without hesitation.

When the car arrived at my apartment, I opened my door and climbed out. Garrett approached bewildered that I was letting myself out.

"Miss Swan," he scolded lightly.

"Thank you, Garrett, but I won't need the car again this evening," I stated smiling and rushing past him.

"Umm, very well, Miss Swan," he replied astonished.

"Go take the night off. Have some fun," I said turning around slightly before heading into the building.

Alice showed up half an hour later carrying her entire makeup collection and hair styling supplies.

"Why didn't you tell me you needed help carrying all of this?" I inquired reaching out and grabbing a few bags from her hand.

"I tried to call but you didn't answer," she replied dropping the rest of the stuff on the floor. "By the way, you are not allowed to leave me those kinds of messages ever again!" she proclaimed slumping into a nearby chair. I laughed at her lightly.

"Well, I didn't hear my phone," I said reaching for my purse. Shuffling through it I noticed my phone wasn't in there. "Crap. I must have left it in the car. I'll be right back." Alice just waved me off still trying to catch her breath.

I was hoping that Garrett hadn't taken off yet. I wasn't exactly sure what he did when he had time off, if he took the car or not. I was hoping he hadn't. I needed my phone just in case Edward called.

When I exited the building I noticed the car was still parked out front. I sighed happily and reached for the handle only to find it locked. I looked around for Garrett but he was nowhere in sight. I should probably have kept a set of keys for myself.

I waited by the car for a few more moments until I finally saw him down the street pacing angrily. He was surrounded by a billow of smoke and talking in his cell phone. He was obviously upset about something. I wasn't sure if I should approach or wait for him to be finished. Considering I didn't have much time to get ready for my date, I decided to just head over to him.

As I moved toward him he spun around suddenly and noticed me approaching. He said something into his phone and quickly hung up then immediately extinguished his cigarette.

"Miss Swan, I'm sorry," he started but I stopped him.

"Garrett, please call me Bella, and it's alright. You're off. No reason to apologize, but I believe I left my phone in the car. Could you please unlock it for me?"

"Of course, Miss S… Bella," he answered walking me back to the car. He unlocked it and opened the door for me. My cell phone was right on the seat.

"Thank you, Garrett. Have a good evening and I hope everything is okay," I stated cautiously. He looked at me confused before his realization set in.

"Yes, everything is fine. Thank you for asking," he smiled hesitantly. I could tell everything was far from fine but I didn't push the topic. It wasn't any of my business.

As I turned to go into the building I thought back to Angela's statement from girl's night about Garrett. I wondered if I should try and set them up. I would have to ask him the next time I saw him if he had a special someone.

Alice worked her magic as I knew she would. Since I didn't know many details about the date we stuck to a simple black dress with a cascading diamond necklace, of course. It was from her family's signature line, the one that I absolutely adored and tried to wear as often as I could. The collection itself was handcrafted and made with the best diamonds my father offered.

Alice left right before eight wishing me luck and yelling at me to call her as soon as I could.

Just as the clock chimed eight, I heard a knock on my door. _Man, he's prompt_.

I ran my hands down my dress and grabbed by bag before opening the door. When I did I was taken aback at what I saw.

Edward stood in my doorway wearing tailor fit khakis and a blue buttoned up shirt that hugged his chest in all the right places. As he looked me up and down he smirked and licked his lips. My mind instantly wandered to dirty thoughts about his tongue.

When he cleared his throat I was taken out of my musings of his tongue doing delicious things to my body.

"You ready to go?" he asked smiling down at me. I wondered if he knew what I had been thinking and I blushed instantly.

"Yes," I exhaled grabbing a hold of his arm as he held it out for me.

We exited and stopped in front of a black Audi R8. Rosalie would die if she knew I was about to ride in this car. This was the dream car that she talked about constantly and I had to admit that it was an absolutely beautiful machine.

When Edward opened my door, I noticed it was upholstered with red leather seats; this car was literally sex on wheels.

I hopped in admiring the craftsmanship as Edward opened the driver's side and slid in.

"Like what you see?" he asked winking at me suggestively as he reached forward and started the car. The engine purred to life.

"Very much so," I responded seductively, running my hands along the armrest. Two can play that game, Mr. Cullen.

Edward drove in silence as I looked out the window and watched the scenery pass by. I wondered where he was taking me. As we turned onto Grand Avenue, I knew exactly where we were going.

"Navy pier?" I asked astonished. He nodded and smiled as I returned my focus to the approaching pier. For as long as I could remember I had wanted to go out into the harbor and now it looked like I was going to be able to.

We stopped just outside the dock. Edward cut the ignition, exiting the vehicle slowly, and came around to assist me out; however, I couldn't keep my eyes off the ship that awaited us at the end of the pier.

The boat was large and white with _Odyssey_ written across its bow. It was also lit up with a million tiny white lights that cascaded across the water causing the boat to appear like it was glowing.

I looked over at Edward who suddenly looked nervous.

"What's wrong?" I asked walking over toward him.

"Nothing," he responded instantly. I looked up at him and raised my eyebrow as he sighed. "I'm just hoping this isn't too much," he explained.

"Why would it be too much," I inquired.

"You'll see," he answered reaching out and grabbing my hand. He escorted me down the ramp to the ship. When we approached the ship a young lady dressed in a black and white uniform greeted us.

"Mr. Cullen and Ms. Swan?" she asked.

"Yes," Edward answered nodding at her.

"Right this way," she responded grabbing a hold of two menus and leading us onto the deck of the boat. I looked around and noticed that there weren't any other passengers. She sat us down at a table, leaving us our menus.

"Umm, where is everyone else?" I asked looking around and glancing at the menu. I looked over at Edward who was looking down. I could tell that he didn't want to respond. "What?" I pushed gently, suddenly curious at his silence.

"There isn't anyone else coming," he answered looking at me then back to his menu.

"I'm confused," I responded.

"The boat, I rented it just for us for the evening," he announced staring at me. It took only a few seconds for his words to register. He'd rented the entire boat… just for us? What the hell.

"What do you mean?

"I rented this boat just for us," he reiterated putting the menu down and grabbing my hand. "No one else is coming so it's just you and me."

This must have cost him a fortune. I mean it wasn't like he couldn't afford it, but it made me uncomfortable knowing he'd spent this much money on me for our first date.

"I know what you're thinking and don't," he said taking a sip of his wine that had suddenly appeared before him.

"What?" I asked looking around again.

"I know you're thinking that this is too much and that I shouldn't have spent this kind of money." I was taken aback. It was like he could read my thoughts. "I wanted to do this so please relax and enjoy." He smiled at me before taking another sip of his wine.

Taking his advice I sighed and grabbed my glass. I could do this, I could enjoy myself.

We spent the rest of the evening talking about everything. He told me about school and finally finishing his Master's. I told him about my school and moving back home.

"So Emmett is a friend?" he asked quirking an eyebrow at me as he offered me more wine. I wasn't sure how many glasses I'd had, but thought one more wouldn't hurt as I held out my glass to him.

"Yes, a good friend," I nodded my response. "We attempted to date back in the day, but realized quickly that we were better off as friends. He kissed me once and from that moment on I knew he was more like a brother to me than a lover." I chuckled remembering our attempt at a kiss and how it felt like kissing my brother. I looked over at Edward and saw an unknown expression cross his face before he hid it by wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Sounds like you guys are really close then," he responded placing his napkin back in his lap.

"Yes, Emmett, Rose, and I have been seemingly inseparable since freshman year." I grabbed my glass and swallowed its contents suddenly feeling on edge about this conversation.

"I've heard about them from Alice. They seem really nice." Oh, I forgot that Alice probably talked about them. She was close to them as well.

"Yes, they are. Rose would die if she saw your car," I mentioned.

"Really?" he stated perking up suddenly. "Well, I can definitely show it to her. When do they leave to go back to New York?"

"Umm, next Friday," I responded finishing off the rest of my maple-glazed chipotle chicken.

"Then we should go out together, how about Wednesday?"

I looked at him like he had three heads. "Uh, you want to go out with Rose and Em?" I wasn't sure if I had heard him correctly.

"Yes," he answered reaching for my hand. "Your friends are my friends Bella or at least I hope they will be." He smiled.

After sparing myself a moment to catch my breath, I answered. "Okay, that sounds good." I smiled back at him. I couldn't believe that he wanted to meet my friends and spend time with them. It meant a lot to me.

A familiar slow song began to play and I recognized it instantly as the song that Esme had Edward and I dance to when we were teenagers in her living room. Edward looked at me, his eyes shining as he reached out his hand as an offering to dance.

"Care to dance with me?" he offered. All I could do was nod and reach for him. He seemed so different from when we met at the lawyer's office, much more like the boy I used to know; however, more of a man.

We swayed side to side as the song "Truly, Madly, Deeply" by Savage Garden blasted through the speakers.

_I want to stand with you on a mountain.  
I want to bathe with you in the sea.  
I want to lay like this forever.  
Until the sky falls down on me..._

"I was hoping you'd remember this song," he whispered down to me pulling me close. My heart instantly stuttered. Did he really remember? "I will never forget that night we danced in my mother's living room," he proclaimed. "That was the first night I felt my heart truly beat and it was only because of you." He spun me around pulling me even closer.

_Oh can't you see it baby?  
You don't have to close your eyes  
'Cos it's standing right before you.  
All that you need will surely come..._

We were so close I could feel his hot breath across my cheek. I looked into his smoldering green eyes and saw the boy I used to know mixed with the man standing before me.

"Edward," I whispered linking my arms around his neck and pulling his face toward mine. Our eyes locked. I could feel the sparks fly between us just like I did the last time we'd danced all those years ago.

"Bella," he answered closing his eyes. His hands were now on my waist rocking us gently back and forth to the music. Without words I pulled him down and kissed him gently. He tasted just as I remembered. His lips were sweet and soft.

_I'll be your dream  
I'll be your wish  
I'll be your fantasy.  
I'll be your hope  
I'll be your love  
Be everything that you need.  
I'll love you more with every breath  
Truly madly deeply do..._

My hands instantly wrapped into his hair pulling him even closer; his arms wrapped around me until there wasn't an inch between us.

Our mouths assaulted one another's. I moaned when his tongue plunged into my mouth, which caused my leg to instantly rise up onto his hip. I was suddenly glad to have the boat all to ourselves because with just one kiss this man had my heart beating overtime and my legs on his hips.

"Bella, Bella," he whispered as the song ended. He grabbed my face and placed slow, sweet kisses on my lips before gently pulling away. "Let's not get carried away, love," he stated breathlessly. I could tell that it was hard for him to stop. He was panting and I could feel his arousal against my thigh. I nodded my agreement though I wouldn't have minded continuing in the least.

He grabbed my hand and began to escort me toward the exit. It was well past eleven and our boat had docked. Edward and I thanked the staff as we exited and headed toward his car.

"So when shall we meet up with Emmett and Rose?" he asked as he maneuvered the streets of Chicago.

"Umm, that Wednesday will work I'm sure," I answered. Did he really want to spend time with me and my friends?

"Okay, it's a date then," he proclaimed, driving up to my building and parking. He opened his door and rushed over to mine, escorting me out.

"Okay, I'll call and ask them to let you know," I stated hovering by the building entrance.

"Sounds good," he responded grabbing my hand and pulling me forward.

"What are you doing?" I inquired as we headed inside toward the elevators.

"I'm walking you to your door. What do you think?" He smirked kissing my hand sweetly as the elevator dinged its arrival.

"Oh," was my clever response. I couldn't believe he was walking me to my door.

As the elevator opened up onto my floor, I led him out and toward my door.

"This is me," I stated as we stopped in front.

"It was really nice to see you tonight Bella, thank you for letting me take you out," he responded leaning in and kissing my cheek.

"Of course," I said standing still as a statue. I wasn't sure what to do. My mind had suddenly shut off it seemed.

"I can't wait to see you again," he whispered kissing my jaw line. I nodded my agreement. I couldn't respond. His kisses were so gentle and sweet. It made me want to pull him in to my apartment and have my way with him. "I'll talk to you soon?" he asked pulling away. I nodded again. He reached out and grabbed my hand kissing it sweetly before heading down the hallway toward the elevator. "Until then, Bella," he spoke seductively.

It took me ten minutes to regain my bearings and enter my apartment. I swore that man had cast a spell on me or something. Just days ago I wanted nothing to do with him and now I was looking forward to our next encounter. I shook my head as I changed into my pajamas.

What was he doing to me? I couldn't really say. I climbed into bed that night and went over our date. It had been absolutely perfect.

I couldn't help but wonder what it meant for us. Was this a transition of sorts? Could we really work out?

_Transition Cut diamonds are in between the Old Euro Cut and the modern brilliant stones of today. These diamonds have a larger crown and a smaller culet compared to older stones. The Transition Cut is also known as the Early American Cut and was an attempt to be more precise in the cutting of diamonds._

It appeared we were somewhere in between our old selves and new selves. Could we move forward in this unchartered territory together?

**A/N **

**Please R/R! It motivates me! J/S… See you soon! **

**Also I'll be doing review replies again this time!**

**Thank you to my beta coachlady12! Please go check out her stories on her ff site they are amazing! She has a new one up and it's awesome! **2113307/coachlady1

Thank you to my pre-readers: 84Gemma and tff000

**They are awesome. Plain and simple! **

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	12. Chapter 12 Fake vs Real

**A/N **

**Hey everyone! Here's a longer chapter for you. We will speed up from here… **

**WC's are still planned every day! Hoping to get a new one out soon. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not a single thing. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. There is no copyright infringement intended.**

BPOV

I took a few deep breaths as I entered my apartment. That date had been intense to say the least.

Just as I was taking off my shoes, my phone started ringing with a familiar tune. I reached into my purse and pulled out my cell.

"Alice," I answered leaning forward and pulling off my heels.

"Weren't you supposed to call me as soon as you got home?" she asked immediately.

"Well, hello to you, too," I replied walking into the kitchen and grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Bella," she stated her tone warning me not to push her.

"I just got home. Give me some breathing room will you?"

"It's almost midnight!" she proclaimed.

"And your point is?" I was met with silence. It was rare that Alice was ever silent.

"I'm just surprised is all," she murmured.

"Why are you surprised? You're the one that has always been telling me that Edward and I belong together." I took a long gulp of my water awaiting her response.

"I know and I do think that. I just figured you'd give him a harder time is all," she stated.

"Well, you know we talked the other day and cleared the air some and honestly tonight was quite… nice," I insisted, sitting down on my couch, rubbing the slight pain in my foot from my heels. I held the receiver away from ear as I was greeted with loud squealing. "Alice! Alice, calm down!" I demanded bringing the phone back.

"What? Can't I be happy that my brother and best friend had a great first date? Oh, my God, I can't wait until we're married and both pregnant and we can eat pickles and ice cream together! Oh, my God, and you…" I cut her off before she could continue.

"Alice! Don't get ahead of yourself. It was just one date."

"A good date," she pointed out.

"Yes, a good date, but we still have a long way to go." I sighed. Again she was silent.

"Yeah, I know," she agreed. "So tell me about the date." I told her about the boat and dancing to the song. She awwed when I told her that he'd walked me to my door. "See, I told you he could be romantic."

"I never doubted you," I assured her leaning back into the cushions and closing my eyes.

The next morning I attempted to sleep in, but my legs kept moving. I couldn't stay still no matter how hard I tried. Every time I closed my eyes, I kept thinking about the smolder in his eyes and the softness of his lips. I couldn't help but think of his lips and his hands. I wondered what they would feel like against my skin. A knock broke me from my musings.

I grabbed my robe and headed to the front door. My heart was racing thinking that it could possibly be Edward, but what would he be doing here this early?

I approached slowly and looked into the peephole. Instead of seeing anyone, I saw a big bouquet of flowers. I opened the door and was instantly assaulted by the smell of roses.

"Delivery for Miss Swan," the guy behind the flowers announced.

"Yes, that's me," I replied.

"Sign here, please," he responded shoving a clipboard into my hands. I signed my name then reached out and took the enormous vase from his hands.

After shutting the door, I turned around and stared at the flowers. I was in complete awe of the beautiful arrangement. This time it was all purple and white roses with a sprinkling of baby's breath throughout. _How does he know exactly what to send?_

Placing the vase in the kitchen, I noticed a card sticking out from between leaves. I reached in and pulled it out taking a deep breath as I opened it.

_Bella,_

_These flowers aren't nearly as beautiful as you. _

_I'm looking forward to Wednesday. 10 am. I'll be there to pick you guys up._

_Yours,_

_Edward_

I gulped when I read the last line, _Yours, Edward_. My mouth was suddenly dry, my throat suddenly constricted. Yes, he knew exactly what he was doing.

Later that day I texted Emmett about Wednesday; he called me back immediately.

"What's this about Wednesday?" he asked.

"We're going out during the day with Edward," I mumbled the last part hoping he'd miss it.

"What was that?" he asked again. Now I knew he was just trying to be a smartass.

"We are going out on Wednesday with Edward okay?" I yelled. "Happy now?" I asked exasperated. I don't see how Rose puts up with him.

"Very," he responded chuckling. I heard some rustling noises and a few harsh whispers before Rose came on the phone.

"Don't mind him Bella, he's a dick. We both know this," she stated matter-of-factly. All I could do was nod. Emmett would do anything to get you flustered. "So what's this about Wednesday?" she asked.

I told her. I told her about Edward's and my conversation at the coffee shop and about our date out on the boat, to which she oohed and awwed as Alice had. Then I told her about how he wanted to get to know them better by having us all go out during the day.

"Are you sure he included Emmett in that equation?" she inquired sounding slightly stunned.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," I answered going back over our conversation in my head. He had, hadn't he?

"Wow," she whispered.

"What?" I asked.

"He's brave," she responded. I hadn't even thought of that. I guess Edward was. He wanted to meet the guy who punched him in the face. I didn't exactly know what that meant.

"Yeah, I guess so," I mumbled. "So Wednesday then? Around 9:45? Edward said he'd be here around ten."

"Yep, we'll be there. Emmett has a few more interviews to wrap up the next few days so that will be perfect timing. Oh and how about me, you, and Alice go to dinner the next night then come back to your place for a girly sleepover?"

"Sounds perfect! I'll let Alice know. Oh, and I can't believe you guys might actually be moving here after graduation. That's crazy!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah, if things work out with his interviews we might officially make the move. There's really nothing left in New York for us," Rose replied. It was true. Rose's parents had pretty much split the last few years and she had no siblings. Also she tried to stay away from her hometown as much as possible because of her asshole ex. He seemed to always show up inconveniently whenever she went home. Emmett's parents decided that since he was in school they would travel. Now they were in a different state each month with no signs of staying in any of them for long periods of time. It suited them and gave Emmett the freedom to go where he wanted.

"I hope it works out. I'd love for you guys to be here." I sighed.

"Us too," she answered.

I spent the remaining days floating in a flower-induced bubble. Each day I was sent another beautiful flower arrangement, with yet another sweet card. Sometimes it was just an _I miss you _or _Do you remember when I pushed that kid off the monkey bars because he was mean to you?,_ but they always ended with, _Yours, Edward_. On top of sending me flowers every day, Edward had taken to calling me every night to see how my day had gone and to wish me a good night. I hadn't smiled this much in years.

The last flower bouquet came with another sweet card. It arrived Tuesday morning, the day before we were to meet again. The card simply read, _Wild horses couldn't keep me away. Don't forget to dress comfortably for tomorrow. Yours, Edward_. I melted at his use of lyrics to one of my favorite songs from back in the day, even though he had tweaked them a bit.

I couldn't help but hum the song for the rest of the day as I shopped with Alice for something cute yet comfortable to wear. Alice had noticed that I was suddenly all smiles lately and she kept inquiring as to why, but I just shrugged and kept humming. I hadn't told her about the flowers yet. If I had, I was positive I'd go deaf.

"What about this?" Alice asked holding up a hot pink tube top.

"Really, Alice?" I raised my eyebrows.

"What? He said comfortable. This is comfortable and cute," she replied eyeing the size.

"Yeah, for you maybe," I answered. "I won't be wearing anything like that. You know pink looks horrible on me anyway."

"Okay, well, why don't we stick with what we know looks good on you," she responded by dragging me over to the dresses. We ended up picking out a royal blue short-sleeved dress that came down right to my knees. It was sweet and really cute.

I convinced Alice that I needed flat shoes instead of heels because Edward had mentioned to dress comfortably. She knew comfortable to me did not equal high heels, much to her chagrin.

"You just have to wear them a few times for them to become like second nature," she urged.

"Alice! You're talking to someone who can't walk across the room barefoot let alone in four-inch heels!" I huffed.

"One of these days, Bella Swan, I _will _have you walking in heels!" she proclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah," I replied. "The day you have Rose in a dress is the day I'll wear four-inch heels!" We laughed. "Oh, by the way, do you think that Angela would want me to set her up with Garrett?" I asked.

"Yes! I completely forgot about that. I'll call her tonight and ask. Do you think he'd be interested?"

"I'm not sure. He was on the phone the other day arguing with someone. It looked heated, so maybe a break up? If Angela is interested, I'll ask Garrett."

"Sounds like a plan," she stated as we took off with our purchases back to my apartment. She said her goodbyes after helping me drop off my bags.

"I promised Jasper some loving tonight," she announced kissing my cheek. "You know how cranky he gets…" she started.

"Yes, yes! Off you go to lover's land!" I cut her off before she could continue. I ushered her toward the door.

"Love you, mean it!" she yelled rushing down the hall giggling.

"Love you, too, you vile, evil, woman, you," I yelled after her. Maybe one day I could have that. One day. I sighed.

As soon as I shut the door my phone rang. Looking at the screen I saw that it was Esme.

"Hello, Esme," I answered heading toward my room to stash away my purchases.

"Bella, dear, you know you should start calling me mom," she corrected. I was silent. She _was_ like a mother to me, true, but I knew why she was saying it. Taking in my pause she continued. "Anyway, I was calling because I wanted to see if we could get together for lunch sometime next week and talk wedding dates."

I didn't know what to say to her. Was I really ready for that? After stuttering for a moment thinking over her question, I answered. "I'm not sure if we can talk wedding dates yet, but I'd be more than happy to meet you for lunch. How does next Tuesday sound?" My obvious aversion worked and my promise to come by for lunch seemed to appease her; however, I knew I was only biding my time.

There was no time limit outlined in the agreement for when the nuptials need occur, but I knew both sets of parents were eager to get some things planned out at least.

I spent the rest of the day cleaning and getting ready for the girls to come over the following night since I wouldn't have time tomorrow. I made sure I had ample amounts of artery-clogging popcorn, girly movies, and alcohol, all the basic necessities for our sleepovers.

Later that night, as I finished getting ready for bed, my phone rang.

"Right on time," I whispered hearing the acoustic version of _Truly, Madly, Deeply_ ring through my bedroom. "Hi," I answered grabbing my phone from off my nightstand.

"Hi, what are you doing?" he inquired.

"Getting ready to go to bed," I answered stretching out under my comforter and snuggling in.

"Me too," he yawned.

"Long day?" I asked. He seemed to be working himself too much lately. Almost every time I'd spoken to him lately, he seemed exhausted.

"Yeah," he sighed again. "Tell me about your day."

"Nothing exciting just shopping with Alice and talking with your mom, you know, the usual." I laughed. He laughed too.

"What did you and my mom talk about?" he asked. I was silent. Should I tell him? "Umm, you don't have to answer that. I'm sorry if that was out of line," he quickly added.

"No, no, it's fine. She asked me to meet for lunch to discuss setting the wedding date," I responded, not knowing how he would react.

"Really?" he asked sounding intrigued.

"Yeah," I replied. "I didn't know what to tell her so I offered to just have lunch with her instead." This time he was silent.

"Umm, if it's okay with you I'd like to be there if and when you decide to discuss that," he requested before pausing, waiting for my answer.

"Umm, yeah, that's okay," I murmured. I mean, it was his day too, right?

"Bella, we don't have to do this. We can…"

I cut him off. "No, its fine, I'm fine. I'll, umm, I'll just let you know okay?" I whispered.

"Okay." He sighed. "Have a good night, Bella. I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow."

"Me too," I answered. There was a moment of silence where neither of us said goodbye or hung up so I continued, "So where are we going?"

"Nice try, but it's a still a secret." He chuckled. Damn him, at least I tried.

"Okay, well, I'll see you tomorrow then. Good night, Edward."

"Sweet dreams, Bella," he replied sweetly before hanging up.

I stared at my phone. I always felt like I had something more that I needed to say to him, but could never find the words. This whole situation was too damn confusing.

I spent the night restless, excited and nervous about seeing Edward again. Not sure what to do or what to say.

Rose and Emmett showed up right at 9:45 the next morning. Rose was wearing a hot pink tube top with white shorts and pink high heels. I giggled because it looked exactly like the outfit that Alice would have picked out for me. Rose narrowed her eyes at me as I giggled. I just shrugged which caused her to roll her eyes at me. I'm sure she had some idea as to why I was giggling.

The doorbell rang promptly at ten. Rose looked over at me and beamed after glancing at her watch noting the time.

"Wow, I guess he means business," she responded. All I could do was shrug again. We headed down and stared at Edward's metallic blue Porsche while Rose drooled over it.

"Is this a Panamera?" Rose asked intrigued.

"Yep, Turbo S. I would have brought the R8," he stated "but it only has two seats. I figured you'd like this one as well." Rose only nodded

I gave her the front seat so she could experience the ride. Edward had offered her to drive, but Rose had politely declined. She stated that she was too respectful of other people's cars to do that. It didn't; however, stop her from asking every question under the sun about the car.

"How much hp?"

"550," he answered. She whistled.

"At what RPM?"

"6,000," he answered again without hesitation.

"Nice. And she tops out at 190?" she asked as he nodded. Rose ran her hands over the red leather arm rests.

"I love it when you talk car, baby," Emmett responded from the back seat. All I could do was laugh as Rose shot him an evil glare. I could tell she was trying really hard not to laugh at him as well.

Thirty minutes later we pulled into a parking lot and stopped. I gasped when I looked up and saw the sign. Emmett was just as ecstatic beside me.

"Par-King?" I asked

"Yep," Edward responded popping the _p_.

"I haven't been here in so long! The last time was probably my seventh birthday party," I proclaimed.

"I know," he answered.

We all climbed out and headed inside. It was surreal to be back in the place because it held so many happy memories for me.

"You okay?" he asked as we stood in line to play putt-putt.

"I am," I responded smiling up at him. "But you're going down in this game," I proclaimed holding up my golf club and red ball triumphantly.

"We'll see," he stated winking at me.

We entered the putt-putt range and began our game.

"Ah, come on! That was totally a hole-in-one! This hole is lame!" Emmett screamed as the ball went right past the hole.

"Shut up! It is not!" Rosalie laughed from beside him. It was her turn next and when she went, it went around the hole as well. "Damn it!" she yelled.

"Told you it's a lame hole." Emmett smirked and wiggled his eyebrows before Rose smacked him on the shoulder. All I could do was laugh at their antics.

Edward was next and of course he got a hole in one. Smirking at me he said, "It takes a special stroke, Bella. You're next. We aren't too far apart from each other now."

I went up to the box and winked at him "No worries, I've got this handled." I placed my ball on the starting point and aimed it just to the right of the hole, right where there was a slight incline. Edward knew a lot about me, but he didn't know I was mini-golf pro. What can I say, my dad taught me well. As the ball went in for a hole-in-one, I smirked at Edward. "Yes, a special stroke indeed." I reached out and patted him on the cheek. I couldn't help but laugh at his expression as I walked away.

I ended up winning that game to Edward's dismay. Apparently, he wasn't used to losing.

"We can play again another time," I suggested. He smiled at me.

"I'll take you up on that," he stated still smiling and leaning over kissing me softly.

Three hours later I dragged us back to the car laughing so hard that tears were streaming down my face. Rose wasn't in much better condition.

"I swear that machine was lying," Emmett said pouting.

"You're just mad because Edward beat you." I laughed as Emmett glared over at me.

"There's no way Edward beat me at Dance, Dance Revolution. No. Way," he annunciated each word.

"Well, it's true. He did, so suck it, you poor baby." I looked over at Edward who was just smirking away.

"Why are you smirking? You didn't win by much!" I laughed again at Edward's expression.

"But I _did _win," he answered grabbing me by the waist and pulling me closer. "I got the moves to prove it," he whispered in my ear. I couldn't help but shiver at his suggestive remark. This man was going to be the death of me for sure.

When Edward pulled up to my apartment, Emmett and Rose climbed out and headed inside. I stayed behind to say goodbye.

"I had a great day," I said.

"Me too," he responded reaching out and grabbing my hand. "So, when can we get together again?" he asked kissing my knuckles.

"Umm," I stuttered, momentarily sidetracked. "Whenever works for me. I'm still trying to move in and get situated. I'm going to your mom's next Tuesday, but that's about all I have planned."

"Okay, well, how about we go out after that? I have a great place I'd like to take you to."

"Okay," I agreed looking into his eyes.

"Until then, Bella," he replied leaning forward and capturing my lips, slowly sucking my bottom lip into his mouth. I couldn't help the moan that escaped. I reached over the console and wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pulled him closer to me. Our kiss became heated, passionate. I felt like I couldn't get close enough to him. His hands grabbed my waist firmly, kneading my flesh through my clothes. I knew I would have bruises, but at the moment I didn't care. I reached and grabbed the back of his neck, pulling at his hair. I was rewarded with a guttural moan.

As I continued to assault his mouth, I slowly moved closer and closer to the point where I was almost over the console and sitting in his lap. His hands moved up my body and lightly caressed my breasts before slowly moving back down to my waist.

"Bella," he panted. I broke away and kissed along his jaw. I kissed the stubble that was now growing there and moved down to his neck. "Bella," he said again this time more firmly, grabbing my forearms and pushing me away slightly. I looked up to see the fire in his eyes. "We need to stop." He sighed, rubbing my arms tenderly.

I immediately went back to my seat and smoothed down my dress. I couldn't believe how my mind lost all control when I was around him. Suddenly, I was self-conscious and wanted to get as far away from him as possible. Seeing my fright he reached out and grabbed my hand.

"As much as I'd love to continue this, and God knows that I do, I think we need to stop. But just so you know, Bella, you drive me crazy." He sighed kissing my hand sweetly and winking at me. I sighed too because I knew we needed to stop. Any more and we'd be doing something we'd both regret. I leaned forward and kissed him softly before pulling away.

"I'll talk to you soon," I replied sweetly. "And just so you know, Edward, I can do more to you than drive you crazy." I winked climbing out of the car chuckling at his expression as I left. I swore I could hear him growl before he pulled away.

I swooned as I entered my apartment building. I didn't even realize anyone was around to notice me until I ran into right into something solid. Looking up I noticed Garrett standing in front of me.

"Ms. Swan." He smiled at me.

"Garrett, so nice to see you!" I exclaimed. His smile made me smile.

"You too, Ms. Swan," he answered. "Not needing my services tonight I see?" he asked stepping aside as I walked slightly past him.

"Nope, I just got back from my date with Edward! Oh, by the way, are you seeing anyone special?" I asked. He looked thoughtful before he answered.

"Not at this time, no," he responded.

"Well, I have the perfect girl for you then!"

"Really?" he inquired. "Well, you'll have to introduce me then."

"Well, technically you've already met," I answered. "When I had girls' night the other night, she was the tall, brunette one."

He looked pensive for a moment before responding. "Yes, I remember. Just let me know," he stated smiling.

"I will. Good night!" I proclaimed heading to the elevators.

"Good night, Ms. Swan,"

"It's Bella!" I shouted at him.

"Right, Bella," he responded laughing slightly.

I spent that night sleeping peacefully, dreaming of soft lips and roaming hands.

The next night I met Rose and Alice for dinner at Tru, a new, hip restaurant off of N. St. Clair. We filled ourselves up with duck, lobster, and honey-crisp apple beignet that was literally to die for.

We came back to my apartment after dinner to have our girly sleepover. As we entered, Alice squealed over the amount of roses covering my counter space.

"Was this Edward?" she asked even though she knew the answer.

We popped in _Dirty Dancing_ while we made our infamous popcorn and grabbed Ben and Jerry's Clusterfluff ice cream. After the popcorn was done and all buttered up, we sat down to "watch" our movie even though we'd all seen it a million times before.

"Fast forward to the scene where Patrick Swayze gets out of bed and you can see his ass," Alice requested grabbing a handful of popcorn.

"What? No! We have to see the rest of it!" I laughed taking a spoonful of ice cream. It was an awesome mix of peanut buttery goodness and caramel. It was delicious.

"So spill the beans on Edward," Rose stated passing the bowl to me.

"What are you talking about?" I asked innocently taking the bowl and shoving a handful of popcorn in my mouth.

"You know what I mean," she said taking a sip of her apple martini and eyeing me. Before I could respond I was saved by a knock on the door.

"Be right back!" I proclaimed, spilling popcorn as I jumped toward the door. I didn't care that I was in my _Addicted to Sleep_ pajamas and my sheep slippers. I answered the door only to be greeted by yet another bouquet of purple and white roses. However, this time a box of different colored strawberries was included.

"Delivery for Ms. Swan." The deliver guy sighed. Poor guy had delivered every single vase.

"Yep." I reached out and signed bringing the bouquet and box back into the apartment.

Rose and Alice came into the kitchen to admire my bouquet and munch on the strawberries.

I grabbed the card and immediately read the inscription.

_Bella,_

_I had a wonderful time the other night. I look forward to seeing you Tuesday and talking to you soon. I didn't know what to send for "girls' night" but I hope you guys will enjoy these sweets. _

_Yours, Edward. _

I couldn't believe that he had taken the time to send me flowers _and _sweets for my friends and me to share on our girls' night. My heart swelled and suddenly I felt like perhaps I wasn't in this "relationship" alone…

_Several non-diamond materials, which include cubic zirconia and silicon carbide and are often called diamond stimulants, or fake diamonds. They resemble diamonds in appearance and have many of the same properties; however, they are far from being real. _

Whatever this _feeling _wasthat I felt between Edward and I was too strong to be fake, right? Could this be real? As in the case of diamonds, only time and patience will tell.

**A/N **

**Please R/R! Also I'll be doing review replies again this time!**

**Thank you to my beta coachlady12! Please go check out her stories on her ff site they are amazing! She has a new one up and it's awesome! **2113307/coachlady1

Thank you to my pre-readers: 84Gemma, tff000, Themys_, and duckynoel. They are awesome. Plain and simple! Thanks to 84Gemma for helping me hash this out and tff000 for being a huge help! xxo

**Please check out 84Gemmas lovely polyvore's for this fic on my profile and her new blog: 84gemma. blogspot. com where she puts all of her awesome poly's she creates!**


	13. Chapter 13 Bonds

**A/N **

**Here's a chapter with a little more of Alice, Edward and Bella, and a touch of Charlie at the end… **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not a single thing. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. There is no copyright infringement intended.**

I rode over to Edward's parents' house the following Tuesday afternoon to meet up with Alice and Esme for lunch. Alice had heard about our lunch meet-up and decided to declare it a girls' lunch, most likely equipped with spiked lemonade and finger sandwiches.

I touched the golden diamond encrusted four-leaf clover necklace that currently hung around my neck; it was my latest gift from Edward. It came with a note over the weekend that simply said 'Just like this four-leaf clover you are hard to find and lucky to have.'

I hadn't seen Edward since our group date with Emmett and Rose because of his work schedule, but we did talk on the phone every night. Our conversations were light and casual. We talked about everything from his work to our favorite artists, Annie Leibovitz and Andy Warhol.

I tried to convince him that Anne Geddes's cute baby pictures were just as good, but he wasn't easily persuaded. However, he admitted, eventually, that the babies were cute and the pictures were fairly creative. It was nice to talk without any stress. We had yet to broach the topic of the wedding.

Rose and Emmett left to go back to New York last Friday so that Rose could finish up her last year at NYU. Emmett hadn't heard from any of the companies that he'd interviewed with and although he said he was fine, I could tell he was slightly heartbroken about it.

"Don't worry, Emmett, if they can't tell what an amazing person you are then you don't want to work for them anyway," I said hugging him as I dropped him and Rose off at the airport. He smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, JB," he said hugging me back. "Hopefully, we'll be seeing you soon, yeah? Oh and be nice to Edward okay?" he stated winking at me. And with that they were gone, back to New York.

Thirty minutes later, we pulled up to the Cullen mansion. As we came to a stop at the front entrance, I grabbed my bag and waited for Garrett to open my door. As I waited I turned to stare at the Cullen residence. I still couldn't believe their mansion. It had nineteen bedrooms, twenty-three bathrooms, numerous sports courts, a bowling alley, multiple kitchens, dining rooms and a movie theatre. Not to mention 200-plus acres, two swimming pools, and my favorite room of all, their library. My father's house, though large, paled in comparison.

"Thanks, Garrett," I stated as he opened the door and held out his hand for me, helping me out of the car.

"Of course, Ms. Swan." I eyed him until he corrected himself. "Bella," he reiterated laughing lightly, still holding my hand. At that moment I heard someone beside us clear their throat. I turned to see Edward standing there. He looked… angry, jealous?

"Edward, hi," I responded withdrawing my hand from Garrett's and approaching him. I hugged him lightly. "How are you?"

"I'm good. How are you?" he asked in a clipped tone eyeing Garrett as he shut my door and walked back to the driver's side.

"Good. What are you doing here?" I inquired walking up the steps toward the front door.

"What? I can't surprise you?" he asked stopping on the steps.

"Yes, of course, and it's a nice surprise, but does your mother know that you're crashing girls' lunch?"

"I came to see you because I haven't seen you in awhile. What's with Garrett?" he asked suddenly looking at the car as it departed toward the garage. Garrett always drove to the garage to see the Cullen's chauffeur, Caius.

"What are you talking about?" I sighed.

"He was looking at you like you were something to eat," Edward responded stepping up closer to me on the steps.

"Edward, you are crazy and he was not. He was just helping me out of the car."

"I don't like the way he was looking at you," he said

"I don't know what you're talking about." I sighed stepping away from him.

"Is there something going on that I should know about?" he asked, but before I could respond, the front door flew open and a happy Alice bounded down the steps to greet me.

"Bella!" she proclaimed hugging me tightly.

"Alice, it's good to see you too." I laughed hugging her back.

"Edward! I didn't know you'd be coming too!" she screeched launching herself at him.

"It's nice to see you too, sis," he said smiling down at her. I still couldn't believe that they were related. Edward stood a good foot taller than her and had stunning green eyes and auburn hair just like Esme, where as Alice had black hair and sparkling blue eyes. The blue eyes she got from Carlisle, but everyone was still unsure of where her black hair came from because no one in the family had it. Carlisle always used to joke that she must be the milkman's.

"Bella, so glad you could make it!" Esme stated appearing at the front door and coming down to give me a hug. "Oh, Edward, what a nice surprise," she said turning around and giving her son a hug.

"Mom, Alice. I won't keep you. I stopped by to surprise Bella early, but I also came over to see Dad," he responded placing his hands in his pockets, a habit I remembered he did when he was agitated or nervous.

"Oh, yes, of course, your father is upstairs in his study," Esme stated nodding toward the house. Something unspoken passed between them, but I couldn't tell what. Without another word, Edward jogged up the stairs and headed inside.

"Well, let's get this show on the road," Esme said clapping her hands. "I figured we could eat out in the solarium today since it's such a beautiful afternoon." With that I nodded and was ushered inside.

"I can never get over how beautiful your house is, Esme," I said as we made our way toward the back of the house.

"Oh, dear, it has taken many years to get it this way. When you have your own house I'll be more than happy to help decorate. I've got an eye for design now you know," she said laughing and grabbing my hand.

Lunch was just as I'd expected: finger sandwiches and spiked lemonade. By my third glass, I was feeling quite tipsy. Conversation was light and no one mentioned the upcoming wedding much to my surprise. As the lemonade relaxed me and the sun warmed my skin, I couldn't help but relax. It felt like the first time in a long time that I wasn't up in arms about something.

"So, Alice, how are things with you and Jasper? Any updates on the proposal?" I asked kicking off my shoes in an attempt to get more comfortable. I noticed she stiffened slightly before placing her drink back on the table. She and Jasper had been dating for as long as I could remember; however, he still hadn't popped the question.

"No, not really." She sighed tearing up.

"What's going on, Alice?" She looked at me then over to Esme before looking down at her hands.

"I'll go grab some more lemonade," Esme stated before heading inside.

"Alice? You're worrying me. Are you guys breaking up?"

"Oh, God no! Nothing like that." She sighed again.

"Then what?"

"_Impregnant_," she mumbled so quickly that I wasn't sure I heard her correctly.

"What?"

She looked over at me, her eyes filled with tears. "I'm pregnant," she stated louder this time.

"Oh," I responded completely shocked. I knew it definitely wasn't planned even though I knew they wanted kids. "Why are you crying? Are you okay?"

"No, yes, I don't know," she proclaimed standing up and pacing around. "It wasn't something we expected."All I could do was laugh at her statement. She turned and stared at me, narrowing her eyes. "Why are you laughing? This isn't funny."

"Because," I said pushing back my chair and standing up. I walked over to her and put my hands on her shoulders. "I know it wasn't planned, sweetie, but it has to be expected, especially when you're sleeping with someone as much as you and Jasper do. I'm just saying."

She leaned over and pushed me away playfully. "I know it's always a possibility, but we took all the necessary precautions." She huffed sitting back down.

"Well, if the sun, moon, and stars are aligned and all that," I stated sitting back down and taking a sip of my drink. The lemonade suddenly felt more refreshing for some reason.

"It just wasn't supposed to happen this way. We were supposed to have the big, beautiful wedding then a few years later, we were supposed to have a child. Not the other way around," she cried.

"Does your mom know?" I inquired. She did retreat hastily right before Alice sprung the news.

"Yes, she knows, I told her a few days ago, but Edward and my dad don't."

"What about Jasper?"

She stiffened again. "He knows," she whispered.

"Why do you say it like that? What's wrong?" I asked standing up and shifting to the seat next to her as she started to cry again.

"I'm so sorry. My emotions are all over the place," she answered grabbing a napkin from the table and dabbing her eyes. "He knows and he's ecstatic. He actually asked me to marry him on the spot."

"What! Well, that's a good thing, right?"

"No! It's awful!" she exclaimed.

"I'm not following. Isn't that what you wanted?" I asked, completely confused.

"Yes, but not _this_ way. I wanted him to ask me because he wanted to, not because he's obligated to." I knew exactly how she felt and although my situation didn't include a child, I felt like they were similar.

"I know what you mean. You want him to want to marry you for no other reasons besides love." I gulped down the rest of my drink and took the last bit left in the pitcher.

"Oh, Bella," she stammered. "I didn't mean anything by that. I'm sorry."

"I know, Alice, it'll be okay." I patted her hand as I finished drink number… five? "I'm just saying I understand how you feel, but if it's any consolation, you know Jasper was going to ask you to marry him. Knowing him he probably had something grand planned and then felt rushed because you told him the news. I really wouldn't worry about it. At least you know he loves you. He has since day one," I pointed out.

"I know." She sighed. "I feel like a bitch for feeling this way. I wish he had grown balls and asked me sooner," she said sneering.

I laughed. "Coulda, shoulda, woulda and I'm sure he has his reasons. Maybe he wanted to be done with school before asking. I mean you both just graduated not that long ago. Maybe he was waiting for the best possible moment."

"You're probably right," she responded.

"I'm always right," I replied as she giggled. "So how far along are you?"

"Um, about nine weeks," she answered placing her napkin back on the table.

"Nine weeks! Wow! That's like over two months!" I exclaimed just as Esme returned with more sandwiches and lemonade.

"Ah, I see you told her, and did she tell you that you are being absolutely ridiculous about his proposal?" Esme asked. Of course Esme and I would think along the same lines.

"Yes, Mom, Bella seems to agree with you, as always." She sighed.

"That's my girl," Esme declared patting my hand and grinning.

"So nine weeks? That's pretty far along," I stated.

"Yes, well I didn't realize it right away. I thought perhaps it was the stress from moving back or something. I don't know. I was thinking all kinds of reasons besides pregnancy. Anyways the doctor says that I'm around there since I can't remember the first day of my last menstrual cycle."

"So you've already been to the doctor then?" I asked.

"Yes, and we got our first picture. Here let me get it." She leaned down and grabbed her purse, pulling out a small white and black photo.

"Aw, it looks like Jasper already," I said looking at the blob in the photo.

"Ha, very funny," she said snatching the picture and placing it back into her purse.

"So when are you telling everyone else?"

"I was planning to wait until twelve weeks or so," I nodded pouring myself some water this time.

"You should probably tell your father and Edward at least, my dear. I'm sure they'd be thrilled at the news," Esme said beaming over at Alice. You could tell that she was absolutely thrilled about the news of becoming a grandmother.

"Yeah, I probably should. That is if Jasper hasn't told them yet. He was quite excited," she said giggling. I could only imagine Jasper's reaction. He was probably the one that was glowing.

We went back to finishing our lunch. I eyed Alice as she drank some more lemonade, but sighed in relief when she told me it wasn't spiked. Not that I had any room to say anything to her, I was just curious.

"So, umm, Bella," Alice murmured clearing her throat as Carmen, the maid, came and picked up the dishes. "I'm sure you've figured out we'll have to push your wedding back for now. Jasper and I hope to get married before the baby is born."

"That's fine. I understand."

"I feel awful," she proclaimed suddenly.

"It's really okay, Alice. We haven't even set a date yet."

"I know, but Edward was always supposed to get married and have children first. I feel like I'm imposing on that, like I'm stealing that from him," she admitted meekly.

"Alice, don't ever feel that way. You know your brother will be thrilled no matter what. There is no right or wrong way here. So stop thinking that this is somehow a bad thing because it's not. It's a blessing."

She reached out and hugged me across the table. "Thank you, Bella. Thank you so much," she mumbled sniffling into my hair.

"Why are you thanking me, honey?" I asked rubbing her back lightly.

"Just because."

Just then, we heard the screen door open and Edward and his father entered. Edward looked between Alice and me and frowned. I'm sure he was wondering why her eyes were red and slightly swollen.

"Is everything okay?" he inquired walking over the table.

"Yep, everything is fine, dear," Esme stated standing up and kissing Carlisle on the cheek. "Come on, dear; let us leave them to chat." She grabbed Carlisle's hand and led him back into the house. I swear I've never really heard him talk before.

"Well, if lunch is over I was hoping that Bella would still accompany me this afternoon for our date?" Edward looked at me as if he was sorry. I had completely forgotten what a possessive dick he had been earlier in the driveway.

"Yeah, actually, I need to head home. I'm sure Jasper is wondering where I am. He's been sort of… protective lately." Alice stood and hugged me before walking toward her brother and hugging him. "You guys behave now," she said.

"We always do," Edward said smiling as Alice walked back into the house. "So are we still on for this afternoon then?"

"I'm not sure," I answered honestly.

"Why not?" he asked coming closer to me and, God, he smelled so good.

"Because, Edward, you implied earlier that there was something going on between Garrett and me," I said stepping back from him.

"I never said that. I just asked what was up with him."

"Then you said 'Is there something I need to know about?'"

"Well, I was only asking. He was looking at you like you were the canary and he was the cat. It made me uncomfortable, okay?" He stepped toward me again until we were a mere arm's length apart.

"I don't know what you're talking about. He doesn't look at me in any way and I'm not sure why he would. Plus, he's going on a date with my friend Angela next week," I said.

"Oh, Bella, you don't see yourself clearly do you?" he inquired reaching forward and pushing a piece of my hair behind my ear. "I'm sorry, okay. It's not you that I don't trust, it's him. I just don't like the way he is around you."

"Welcome to my world, Edward. Do you think it's easy for me to know that at any moment I can run into one of your former flings?"

"I know and I'm sorry for that. I was an idiot."

"No, you were a hormone fueled boy, but it doesn't make it any easier for me," I stated.

"No, it's not okay, but I plan to show you that I'm worthy of you if you'll let me." He grabbed my hands in his and kissed my knuckles. My heart melted at that statement. It was hard to stay angry at him for long, apparently.

"So what are our plans? Do I need to change?"

He looked me up and down and for a brief moment, I wondered if he was really contemplating my attire or wondering what I'd looked like without clothes on, but before I could interject his inner musings he responded, "You should be fine, but we'll have to bring you a jacket."

We headed out toward his car that was now parked out front. It wasn't flashy like the other ones and I looked at it confused.

"It's a Volvo C30. It's one of the safest vehicles and it has excellent off-road traction," he answered noticing my questioning look.

"Offroading?" I squeaked climbing into the passenger seat as Edward held the door open for me.

"Yep," he responded smiling as he shut the door and headed to the driver's side.

"Do I dare ask?"

"Nope." He laughed again sliding into the driver's seat. It was good to see him smile and I couldn't help but smile in response.

We drove through the woods even farther away from the city. I wasn't sure where we were going, but I knew I was safe as long as I was with Edward. He stopped about ten minutes later off a dirt road.

"We have a little ways to walk, but it's really not too far from here." I looked down at my shoes cringing at my slight heels. I knew I should have worn jeans and tennis shoes today like I had wanted to. "Don't worry. I'll carry you if need be," he said winking as he exited the car. I slipped out of the passenger seat and headed toward him, wondering what he was getting from the trunk.

I gasped when I saw him pull out a large wooden basket and a red and white checkered blanket.

"A picnic?" I asked.

"Yeah, is that okay?" he asked putting his head down shyly.

"It's more than okay," I answered reaching forward to grab the blanket. I couldn't believe he had planned this.

We walked for about ten minutes through the woods before we were suddenly in a meadow, the most beautiful meadow I'd ever seen. It was lush and green and had purple and white flowers everywhere. The sun shone just through the trees making the space feel magical, as if it wasn't real.

"This is amazing," I said looking around. It was so beautiful I couldn't tear my eyes away.

"I know," Edward said grabbing the blanket from my hand and placing it on the ground. "I found it when I was about thirteen. It's been my secret spot for years. I come here when I need to escape and think."

"It's beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with me," I responded sitting down on the blanket. Edward pulled out our dinner from the basket and I laughed at all the items he'd packed.

"Don't laugh. I wasn't sure what you'd want so I asked for everything." He was right. There were chicken wraps, turkey sandwiches, and even mini spinach quiches in case I was "vegetarian," apparently. I smiled at his thoughtfulness and picked up the chicken wrap. It was heavenly.

We spoke softly about our day and just enjoyed each other's company. As day turned into night, it became chilly. Luckily, Edward had grabbed a jacket from the hall closet and slipped it over my shoulders. We lay down together on the blanket to gaze up at the stars. I snuggled into his side.

I was so content I couldn't help but smile and yawn. The night was perfect.

"Edward?" I asked softly.

"Yes," he whispered.

"Do you ever wonder what it would be like if things were different?"

"How do you mean?" he asked tilting his head toward me.

"Well, do you wonder what it would be like if we weren't being _told_ to get married?"

"You mean, would we be together?"

"Yes," I said swallowing loudly.

"I like to think so," he responded sitting up straighter. "Bella, I like you, a lot. I liked you long before the marriage agreement and I would like you without it as well."

"Really?" I inquired.

"Yes, really," he replied. I sighed and snuggled closer. "Why do you ask these questions?"

"No reason." I couldn't tell him that it was because at times I doubted his motives and because Alice had somehow caused me to question this whole agreement.

Soon we decided to leave. I called Garrett to inform him that Edward was taking me home and thanking him for his services. I ignored the slight sneer from the driver's seat.

As we stopped in front of my building, I turned to Edward grabbing his hand in mine.

"Thank you for a lovely evening. It meant so much to me."

"Anytime, sweetheart, anytime," he said kissing my hand. I leaned forward and kissed him sweetly. His lips were soft and his smell was intoxicating.

Soon our kisses became frantic. I pulled him even closer and kissed him passionately. My hands traveled up to the back of his neck, twisting at his tiny hairs.

He broke apart from our kiss and leaned forward, tilting my head slightly, exposing my neck. He sucked and nipped at the sensitive flesh just below my ear. I moaned in response, my hands grabbing his hair roughly.

Soon he made his way back to my mouth and parted my lips roughly with his tongue, stroking it so languidly and deliciously that I couldn't help the wanton moan that escaped my lips. He groaned in response and our kisses quickened, his hands finding purchase on my hips.

I moved my hips with our rhythm wanting desperately to feel him, to feel his touch. As if he heard my silently pleas, his hand began to wander slowly upward underneath my shirt, to my breast.

His fingers ghosted over my nipple causing it to harden instantly under his touch, sending shock waves to my core. I was so lost in him that I felt I couldn't breathe. His scent, his taste, his touch, was almost too much for me to handle.

Suddenly, he pulled away so that we could catch our breath; I was instantly missing him as soon as his lips left mine. He didn't go far, our mouths mere inches apart as we breathed frantically, attempting in vain to catch our breath.

"Edward," I said finally after what felt like forever.

"Mhmm," he responded his eyes closed, his hand still under my shirt rubbing soothing circles along my side.

"Will you come over to my apartment tomorrow night for dinner? I'll cook."

He opened his eyes and looked at me briefly before his face broke out into a breathtaking smile. "I would love to," he responded removing his hand and pulling me into his embrace.

"Tomorrow then?" I asked opening the door.

"Tomorrow," he said nodding happily. He kissed my hand one last time before I shut the door and made my way to the entrance. I stopped just inside to see him drive away, happy that I'd be seeing him again tomorrow.

As I stepped off the elevator toward my apartment, my phone rang. Looking at the caller ID I wondered why he was calling so late.

"Dad?" I answered hesitantly. "Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Yes, everything is fine. Can't a father call his daughter and ask how she is?"

"Of course, but not at," I stopped and looked at the clock in the hallway, "…eleven o'clock at night."

"Well, I wanted to check in with you. I heard you left with Edward this afternoon."

I sighed. Of course, he would have heard of that and called. "Yes, I did."

"Are you just now getting home?"

"Yes, is that okay?" I asked in a clipped tone.

"Bella, of course it's okay. I was just making sure you got home safely. I assume the date went well?"

"It was great, Dad. Thanks for asking."

"So when are you going to make time for your old man?" he asked laughing quietly.

"I think the question should be when does my old man have time for me? You're the one with the job and busy hours, you know," I pointed out as I opened my door and entered into my apartment.

"Well, how about we meet up this weekend? I have some news I'd like to share with you."

"What news?" I asked quietly hoping it wasn't anything bad.

"Just some news; it's nothing major," he said knowing exactly what I was talking about. "You think you can meet me at the house on Sunday?"

"Sure," I answered sighing happily.

"Sounds good, kiddo. I miss you." That was my dad's way of saying I love you.

"I miss you too, Daddio," I said using his nickname. I really did miss him.

"See you soon."

"Okay, see you then." I hung up and sat down on my couch. I wondered what news he had to share with me. I was hoping that everything with the arrangement had been settled, but perhaps it hadn't been? It didn't sound like it was anything too serious, but I was crossing my fingers regardless. My dad tended to downplay things in his life.

As I sat and thought about my father, the more I realized I missed him so much. I really needed to make more of an effort to see him. As I headed off to bed, I made a plan to visit him more often. I was, after all, a daddy's girl.

_It is said that a diamond is a renowned material with superlative physical qualities, most of which originate from the strong covalent bonding between its atoms. It is almost impossible to break this bonding once it has formed. _

I knew the bond between my father and me was strong and I knew that whatever news he had, nothing could break it.

**A/N **

**Please R/R! Sorry about the delay in review responses! I love every single review. It makes my heart happy and I will do it next chapter too!**

**We still have not sped up quite yet, but soon. Next chapter will be Charlie's POV! Well that is if I can write it… we'll see. Don't hold me to it!**

**Thank you to my beta coachlady12! Please go check out her stories on her ff site they are amazing! She has a new one up and it's awesome! **2113307/coachlady1

Thank you to my pre-readers: 84Gemma, tff000, Themys_, and duckynoel. They are awesome. Plain and simple!

**Please check out 84Gemmas lovely polyvore's for this fic on my profile and her new blog: 84gemma. blogspot. com where she puts all of her awesome poly's she creates for tons of great stories!**


	14. Chapter 14 Clarity

**A/N **

**Wow over 400 reviews! *blown away* Thanks guys! I really appreciate it. *blushes* **

**Here is Charlie's POV. Pre-readers seemed to agree that it fit so I'm posting... I hope y'all like. *crosses fingers* **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not a single thing. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. There is no copyright infringement intended.**

Charlie's POV

After getting off the phone with Bella, I walked into my study. I made my way over to the bar and poured a glass of bourbon, a picture catching my eye as I placed the bottle back inside the cabinet.

"Renee." I sighed reaching out and grasping her photo, my glass of bourbon in my other hand. "I miss you so much," I whispered. It still felt like yesterday that I got that dreaded phone call from the hospital.

"_Mr. Swan?" _

"_Yes, this is he," I answered looking down at my beautiful new baby girl asleep in my arms. _

"_Sir, this is Officer Crowley from the Chicago Police Department. There's been an accident involving your wife."_

"_Renee?" _

"_Yes, a Mrs. Renee Swan… she's currently in critical condition at Northwestern…" before he could finish I hung up the phone. I quickly dialed the next person I could think of. Within ten minutes Esme was watching a sleeping Bella and I was on my way to the hospital. _

_The rest of the night unfolded into a horrific nightmare. Renee didn't make it through the night. _

I sat at my desk with my hands in my hair, once again reliving that night. It was the worst night of my life.

No one could tell me what happened. All they could say was that it was a single-vehicle accident and somehow she had run off the road. They found her car in a ditch up against a tree. She had only left the house fifteen minutes prior to run to the store. I still regret that it hadn't been me that insisted on going instead of her.

"_You stay here with Bella. You've been working so much and I want you to spend as much time with her as you can. I'll be right back," Renee said leaning forward and kissing me tenderly. _

"_Okay. She is something isn't she?" I asked looking adoringly at our baby girl. _

"_She is," Renee responded kissing Bella's forehead sweetly then kissing me again_. _"I love you." _

"_I love you too." _

My life since had been a battle between could haves, should haves, and would haves. The first few months were the hardest. I didn't eat or sleep. All I could do was stare at the ceiling and wonder why I didn't go to the store instead. Thankfully, Esme stepped in and helped take care of Isabella even though she had two young children of her own. It was hard to be around our daughter. There were times that I blamed her for it all even though I knew it wasn't right.

After a year of sulking I finally got my wake up call.

_There was knocking on my door and it wouldn't stop. _

"_Go away!" I yelled but the knocking continued. "Fuck. I need to hire someone to answer the door and tell people to go away." I stumbled toward the door, weak from lack of food and sleep. _

_When I pulled open the door there stood a fuming Esme with Isabella on her hip. She stomped in and slammed the door behind her. _

"_Of course, come in, Esme," I said sarcastically wondering what had her so angry. _

"_Don't talk to me like that, Charlie. I've been nothing but patient with you, but this has got to end. You can't continue living like this." I sighed. I knew this conversation was coming eventually. Esme sat Isabella down on the ground and walked over to me. "You are missing so much Charlie. I know it's hard. I can't imagine losing Carlisle, but you have a beautiful daughter and you've already missed so much." _

_I looked over at Isabella as she played quietly on the floor with her toys. I couldn't believe how big she had gotten; she must have doubled in size since I had last seen her. She had my dark brown hair and dark brown eyes, but her face was all Renee. As I stood staring at her wondering how she had gotten so beautiful, she looked up and excitedly said, "Da-Da!" She then proceeded to stand up and wobble over to me, grasping my leg when she finally made it. I bent down grabbing her up in my arms as tears sprang from my eyes. Esme was right, I had missed so much._

I vowed from that day on to never miss another moment of our daughter's life and since then I hadn't. I was there for every ballet concert and every recital. And although at times seeing her made my heart hurt for her mother, I smiled because I knew she was a product of our love and I still had her.

I couldn't thank Esme enough for what she did. She woke me up that day and with her help and some therapy, I became the father I wanted to be.

I twirled in my chair, Renee's picture still in my hand. I looked at all the pictures of Bella that graced my desktop, some from when she was a baby, some from recitals or school. The most recent one was from her college graduation.

"You would have been so proud, Renee. She finished top in her class." I smiled with pride. She looked so happy and so beautiful. I wanted that for her always.

I couldn't stand to not see her smile and knowing that I wouldn't always be around to make sure of that was one of my worst fears. I learned the night Renee passed that life was too short and I relived that lesson a few years later.

"_So what exactly are you saying, Dr. Biers?" _

"_I'm sorry, Charlie. It's cancer. You have prostate cancer." _

"_Cancer?" Thoughts of my daughter flashed through my mind. She was only ten years old. I couldn't have cancer. Not now, not ever. "Okay, how do we beat this?" I asked. There wasn't a question. I had to beat it. _

_Over the next few months, I endured surgery and chemotherapy. After one of my appointments with Dr. Biers I went and visited Carlisle. _

"_Charlie!" Esme proclaimed, wrapping me in a hug. "To what do I owe this honor?" she asked ushering me inside. _

"_I'm here to see Carlisle, actually. Is he home?" _

"_Of course, he's upstairs in his study. Why don't you go visit and I'll be up momentarily with some drinks and sandwiches." _

"_Sounds nice, thank you, Esme," I climbed the stairs and knocked tentatively on Carlisle's study door. _

"_Come in," he answered. I opened the door and walked in. Carlisle glanced up from his paperwork looking shocked when he saw that it was me. "Charlie!" He stood up and came forward, wrapping me in tight hug. "It's nice to see you. Please come in and sit down." He ushered me toward a chair in front of his desk. _

"_Thank you," I answered sitting down as he made his way back behind his desk. _

"_What can I do for you today, Charlie?" _

"_Well, I'm here on a business deal of sorts." _

"_Business deal?" he asked. "Okay, I'm all ears." _

"_Well, you know about my cancer and treatment." _

"_Yes, how is that going by the way?" _

"_It's going okay. I still have some more therapy, but the doctor is optimistic." _

"_That's great to hear."_

"_Yes, it is. Thank you, but that's not why I came here. You know that Zafrina Kachiri is looking for a diamond supplier." _

"_Yes, I am aware," Carlisle responded sitting back. _

"_And you know what a big business deal it would be if I partnered up with her company." _

"_I do. I think it's an excellent opportunity." _

"_What if I don't want to do that? What if I want to work solely with you and your company?" I asked looking at him. _

"_What are you saying, Charlie?" Carlisle inquired sitting up straighter in his seat and leaning forward. _

"_What if we make a business deal? I'll work exclusively with you from here on out. No deals with anyone else." _

"_Okay that sounds amazing, Charlie, but what will you get in return?" _

"_Peace of mind." _

"_I'm sorry, I'm not following." _

"_If I agree to work solely with you then you have to promise me that you'll look after Bella as if she was your own. No matter what happens to me." _

"_Charlie, you know we would do that regardless. She's like a second daughter to me already." _

"_I know this and I'm grateful to have you guys as such close friends. It really helps to know that you care about her like one of your own. You know we don't have any family so if anything happened to me she'd be alone." _

"_Pardon my interruption, but where is this all coming from? I thought all was going well with the treatment?" _

"_It is, but I can't help wonder 'what if.' What if this doesn't work? I want to know she'll be okay." _

"_I promise you, Charlie, she'll be fine. We'll take care of her." _

"_What happens when she's older?"_

"_What do you mean?" _

"_Well, when she graduates from college. I'd like her to continue my business." _

"_Okay, that sounds like something that can be arranged." _

"_I think we should arrange it now." _

"_Alright, what are you suggesting then?"_

"_I know that you expect Edward to run your business when he's older, correct?"_

"_Yes," he answered. _

"_Well what if I propose that we merge the businesses and have Edward and Bella run it together?" I inquired. _

"_And how do you suggest we do that?" _

"_Marriage," I answered simply._

"_Marriage? As in an arranged marriage? Charlie, are you insane?"_

"_Yes, probably, but I think it's the only way to guarantee she'll be okay." _

"_I'm not sure I understand," Carlisle responded. _

"_I want Bella to be taken care of. Not just now, but later as well. We could merge the businesses and have the kids take over when they're ready, but there's nothing saying that it'll be okay. You know how the economy goes. If we add the marriage in there, I know that no matter what she'll be taken care of." _

"_Marriages don't always work out, you know," Carlisle pointed out._

"_Yes, I know this, but this way there are two good chances that she'll be set." _

"_So you're offering me your sole business if I promise that my son and Bella marry?"_

"_Yes," I said. _

"_What if they don't want to get married?"_

"_Then that's fine. I won't make Bella do something she doesn't want to do or Edward for that matter. It'll be their choice ultimately. We won't have them sign until they graduate college and only if they decide they want to, but I have a feeling they will. Even at twelve I can see he has eyes for my daughter." At that, we both laughed because it was true. _

"_I'll talk to Esme about it and let you know," Carlisle stated just as Esme walked in the door with refreshments. _

"_Talk to me about what?" _

After two years, I won the battle against cancer. I was currently still in remission years later and I planned to stay that way. Even if the doctor made it clear that it could come back at any time, I had too much to do. I needed to walk Bella down the aisle and meet my grandchildren.

After the cancer was successfully gone, Carlisle and I talked again about the business arrangement. As planned, I had sourced all of my business to him and only him, causing his profits to triple in less than five years. I could have made more money if I had outsourced elsewhere, but I wasn't in it for the money anymore. I was in it for stability. I knew Carlisle had my back and I had his so we agreed to keep it as it was.

We then debated about the marriage arrangement, but agreed to continue it only if the kids decided on it. We had told them pretty much right away about it, hoping to instill in them that this was the way it was going to be.

However, Carlisle had been more persuasive on Edward over the years than I had on been on Bella. It was only because he saw his son dating one crazy woman after another and knew that Edward would be lucky to have Bella as his wife.

I wasn't thrilled of Edward's womanizing ways, but I knew who he was inside and knew once he made a commitment to Bella he'd settle down.

They had been in love since they were little, they just didn't know it yet.

I finished the last of the bourbon and turned out the light, carrying Renee's picture with me to my bedroom. I placed it on my nightstand and climbed into bed.

I would have given anything to have her here with me now. I wanted to talk to her about what an amazing woman Bella had grown up to be.

Renee probably wasn't thrilled about the marriage arrangement even if she and Esme had joked about having the kids get married when she was pregnant, but I knew she knew my heart was in the right place.

"Everything's going to be fine," I whispered staring at her picture. "I love you." With that, I rolled over and fell asleep dreaming of my beautiful wife and diamonds.

They say that seeing diamonds in your dreams "signify the wholeness of the Self." That perhaps you are finding clarity in matters that might have been clouding you before.

When I awoke the next morning, I knew that I was making the right decision.

**A/N **

**Okay… so what do y'all think? Next chapter is wordier. (wordier is a word, yes?) Promise! **

**Please R/R! I love all of my reviews. They make me happy:) Hopefully I didn't miss anyone. If I did let me know! And remember I can't reply if you have PM's blocked. **

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Thank you to my pre-readers: 84Gemma, tff000, Themys_, and duckynoel. They are awesome. Plain and simple!

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	15. Chapter 15 Growth

**A/N **

**JSYK I love all of your reviews so much! It makes my heart happy 3! I hope I've answered them all…if I didn't let me know! **

**Sorry for the delay of this chapter. We've all been busy bees lately. Birthdays (I think I've decided to go backwards…) crazy kids, random life chaos, laziness… sigh. You know how it goes ;) **

**But here is a little baby lemon for you :D I can't believe I've lasted this long without one! Gah. Please forgive me and I'll get more out to you! I'm a little rusty on the lemony goodness so be kind;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not a single thing. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. There is no copyright infringement intended.**

BPOV

I called down and scheduled the car to be available at ten. I had to go grocery shopping if I was going to cook for Edward tonight.

Edward. I sighed. I couldn't help but remember the way he kissed me last night. My hands absentmindedly went to my lips and I smiled.

At promptly ten there was a knock on my door. I opened it to a smiling Garrett.

"Morning, Bella. Are you ready to go?"

"Good morning and yes, let me just grab my bag." I turned and headed to the kitchen where I had plopped my bag down the night before. Grabbing my phone off the table, I headed back into the living room.

I stopped short when I saw Garrett standing by my fireplace looking around. I was caught off guard that he had invited himself in, but quickly regrouped when he started to talk.

"I like what you've done with the place," he said turning back to me and motioning around.

"Thanks," I responded. Garrett turned around and walked over to the painting that hung on my wall by the door. It was a black and white Ansel Adams photo of a rose on a distressed piece of driftwood. It was absolutely beautiful and an original piece that no one else had. I had tons of his pictures around my apartment because I loved his eye for beauty in our country.

"Is this an original Ansel Adams?" he asked.

"Um, yes, it is. He was a great photographer," I simply stated.

"Yes, he was. I loved how he was a big advocate for balanced growth in our country, but that progress pained him. He showed the parks before they were ravaged by tourists. He had a great eye for beauty didn't he?"

I stood there in shock. "Wow, you know a lot about him."

"I took photography in college. It's one of my passions."

"College?" I asked shocked again. Why was he driving around for my dad if he had a college degree?

"Yes, I studied at Northwestern."

"You were a Wildcat then, huh?"

"Yes, I was." He smiled winking. I wasn't quite sure how to respond to that so I looked away. "Well, shall we head out?" he inquired opening the door and ushering me toward with his hand.

"We shall," I stated exiting. As we entered into the elevator and headed down, I turned around to speak. "So, you're going out with Angela next week, right?"

"Actually, we're supposed to meet for dinner tonight," he responded. Wow, that was fast.

"Well, that sounds fun," I said as the elevator opened to the first floor.

"I hope so."

We headed out toward the car, Garrett opening the door for me.

"Where to this morning?" he asked as he slid into the driver's seat.

"The grocery story," I answered. "I need to pick up some items for dinner tonight."

"Oh, are you cooking?"

"Yes, I am. For Edward," I replied checking my phone. Garrett cleared his throat and I looked at him.

"Sounds like fun," he said dryly.

"I hope so," I responded smiling as I looked out the window.

When I returned home and deposited all the ingredients in the fridge, I texted Edward that he should meet me around six for dinner. He responded immediately with a "Can't wait."

As I swooned over his text, I began to clean. I hadn't really thought about the state my apartment was in when I'd invited Edward over. It wasn't terrible, but I definitely needed to hide a few things before he arrived.

I didn't want him to see my embarrassing display of music boxes that I'd collected over the years or my old, tattered _Wuthering Heights_ book that was permanently stationed on my coffee table.

I thought about hiding some of the pictures I had up of him, Alice and me that had been taken over the years, but decided against it; I wanted him to see that he was present here.

Right at six I heard a knock on my door. I was just putting the finishing touches on the chicken so I yelled out for him to enter.

"Wow, Bella, it smells amazing in here," Edward said entering into the kitchen. Turning around I was momentarily stunned. He stood before me in dark pants, a plaid shirt, and a leather jacket. His hair was sticking up in all directions as he tried to run his hand through it. He placed a helmet on the counter and threw his jacket over the chair. Apparently, Edward rode a motor cycle. That was hot.

"Umm, thank you," I answered clearing my throat and turning back to the food. He walked over, pulled my face toward his and kissed me sweetly. Briefly, I thought that I could get used to him doing that. Shaking the thought from my head I carried the meal over to the table.

"You look beautiful," he said running his hands down my sides. I looked down at my outfit. I'd gone with the typical little black dress for the evening. It hugged my curves in all the right places. Alice would be proud.

"I made lemon chicken, with roasted potato salad, and sautéed green beans with dill vinaigrette. I hope you're hungry," I stated smiling.

"Starving," he responded, rubbing his stomach. I couldn't help but laugh at the look he gave when he eyed the food.

"Will you open the wine?" I requested pointing to the bottle on the counter.

"Sure." He walked over and grabbed the wine. "Nice bottle," he stated inserting in the corkscrew and popping the cork.

"Yes, I love _Domaine Ott Clos Mireille_."

"What year is it?"

"2004."

"Perfect," he said pouring each of us a glass. "Cheers," he stated holding up his glass.

"Cheers to what?" I asked.

"To new beginnings," he responded beaming.

"Agreed, to new beginnings," I said smiling back at him and clinking glasses.

We spent the rest of the dinner talking about anything and everything. We discussed movies, religion, and even the stock market.

As we finished our meal, I suggested we head to the living room to watch a movie.

"Don't worry about the dishes," I said. "I'll get them later."

"Nonsense. If my mom knew I ate all of your delicious food and didn't offer to do the dishes she'd have my head." I laughed lightly at the picture of Esme hurting Edward.

"Well, I won't tell," I promised.

"Too bad," he stated rolling his sleeves up. "Go pick out a movie and I'll be there in a minute."

"Fine, but just so you know, I'm picking out a romantic comedy where they have a sappy ending," I proclaimed making my way into the living room.

"Sounds great," he said laughing and turning on the faucet.

After picking out the movie and setting it up, I yelled out to Edward that I was changing into something more comfortable.

Slipping into an old t-shirt and a pair of sleep shorts, I made my way back to the living room to find him waiting for me on the couch.

Thirty minutes later, we were cuddled up watching _Sweet Home Alabama_, one of my all-time favorites.

"Oh, Josh Lucas," I groaned when he first appeared on the porch.

"Hey, hey, none of that," Edward said defensively.

"But he's so cute," I responded groaning again. "Besides, I know you think Reese Witherspoon is hot, don't lie."

"Meh," he said shrugging causing me to giggle.

As the movie progressed, Edward's hands began to wander.

First, his arm draped over my shoulder, his fingers ghosting across my collarbone, sending chills down my spine. Then his arm slid down to my lower back and circled my waist. I gulped, my throat suddenly becoming dry.

This wasn't the first time that we had done more than kissing, but I was suddenly nervous. I felt like I was in high school all over again.

Slowly, his hand glided under my shirt, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on my stomach. I tried to stay focused on the movie as his hand moved, but it became more and more difficult as his hand wandered north.

His hand approached my breasts and I began to pant. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensations he was sending through my body. Suddenly, he stilled his ministrations and I felt his body turn toward me.

"Bella," he murmured. I gulped scared to look at him, afraid to find out why he was stopping. I couldn't stand it if I was being rejected.

Edward removed his hand from under my shirt and lifted my chin with his finger.

"Bella, please open your eyes," he stated firmly.

I slowly opened my eyes and gasped when I saw the pure lust burning in his. "What's wrong?" I asked almost inaudibly, my breath coming out shaky.

"I don't want to mess this up," he whispered sincerely.

I shook my head in assurance. "You won't. I promise," I proclaimed scooting down the couch some so that I was lying down. I brought my hands up to his shoulders and pulled him down with me, crashing my lips against his.

His hands went back under my shirt, his fingers skimming the underside of my breast.

"I love kissing you," he said as his mouth left mine and began kissing down my neck. I groaned as he sucked and nipped the sensitive skin right below my ear.

"I love you kissing me," I moaned as he licked my collarbone, his fingers brushing over my covered nipples causing them to pebble under his touch.

Suddenly, he reached down and pulled my shirt up. Knowing what he was silently asking, I sat up slightly so he could remove it. As soon as my shirt hit the floor, I reached over and started unbuttoning his shirt, taking my time.

When I pulled it open and noticed the sprinkling of chest hair and his happy trail, I couldn't help but reach out and rub my fingers through it.

His chest was well defined, his six pack abs shivering slightly as my hands moved over them. He took care of himself, which was sexy. I pulled his shirt away from his shoulders and threw it next to my shirt on the ground.

He laid me back down, continuing his assault on my neck, his hands reaching behind me to unclasp my bra.

Apparently, he was a pro at that because seconds later my bra joined our other clothes.

He immediately leaned forward and sucked my left nipple into his mouth as he kneaded my right.

I groaned at the sensation, closing my eyes as he made his way between my breasts.

As he nipped, sucked, and swirled my nipples, he played with the waistband of my shorts. I shivered under his touch and was silently grateful that I had worn my "sexy" pair of underwear tonight.

Slowly, he removed my shorts, his lips never leaving my breast. I gasped when I felt his forefinger trail along the only barrier left between us. Part of me was scared for him to remove it and the other part was begging him to.

He traced all the way around and down then slowly dipped his finger under the white, lacey material.

"Jesus, Bella," he groaned when he found how wet I was. His breathing accelerated and I could feel his erection pressed against my leg.

Gradually, he pulled my underwear down and away from my body, bending my legs in the process. I tried to close them, suddenly scared to be so vulnerable, but he used his body to keep them apart.

I shivered at being this exposed to him for the first time. I should have been embarrassed at how wet I was, I could feel my juices seeping down my legs, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

He lay down between my thighs, kissing his way from the top of my thigh to my core. When he applied a soft kiss to my clit, I moaned instantly reaching out for his hair. As he kissed and licked, I could feel myself getting even wetter.

Suddenly, he spread me open using his middle and pointer fingers. I was truly exposed now.

His tongue teased my clit, causing my hips to buck up to meet his mouth. I moaned and grabbed onto his hair pulling it even more, but this only spurred him on more.

"Bella, you taste fucking fantastic," he mewled and then without warning he dove into me, tongue fucking me, causing me to gasp loudly at his sudden assault.

He twirled his tongue around my entrance before he pushed it back in, his fingers rubbing tight circles on my clit.

As the familiar knot in my stomach began to tighten his tongue left me but only to be replaced by his finger. First one then two entered me slowly, speeding up as I groaned and chanted his name.

His tongue began flicking my clit over and over as his fingers invaded me ruthlessly. When his teeth tugged and nipped at my swollen clit I was done for.

My walls clamped down on his fingers and I stilled groaning and moaning through my orgasm. He stilled his fingers but his tongue never left my clit. He continued to lick and suck until I was shaking from the sensitivity.

"Fuck, you're even more beautiful when you come," he responded pulling away as I attempted to catch my breath

"Mhm," I moaned. It was the only response I could manage at the moment. He chuckled, climbing up my body and kissing me on the lips.

I could feel his erection pressing into my stomach. I reached out and began to rub him through his pants. I hadn't had much experience with blowjobs but I was sure I could manage.

He moaned and groaned as I continued to play with him, and only when I reached to open his pants did he pull away.

"I would love to continue this, but this is about you. Not about me."

"But I really want to reciprocate," I said pouting.

"I know, maybe another time?" I nodded snuggling into his side. I was suddenly very sleepy. I'm not sure how much later it was but I awoke to Edward nudging me lightly and calling my name.

"Bella?" he whispered.

"Mm?"

"I'm sorry, love, but I have to get going."

"How long was I asleep?" I asked rubbing my eyes.

"Only for an hour or so," he replied standing up and grabbing his shirt.

"I'm sorry," I said standing up.

"It's okay. I love watching you sleep. You say some interesting things." He wiggled his eyebrows as I hid my face. I'd been told I talked in my sleep.

"I hope I didn't say anything bad."

"Nothing bad at all; it was all good stuff." He winked.

I pulled my panties and bra on, pulling my t-shirt on and foregoing the rest of my clothes. I helped him into his shirt, buttoning it up, pouting when he was all dressed again.

"I had a really nice time. Thank you for making me dinner," he said as he grabbed his helmet and jacket from the kitchen.

"Anytime," I whispered.

"I really enjoyed my dessert," he said leaning forward and kissing me sweetly. I couldn't help the blush that came at his statement. "So, how about we meet up soon."

"I'd like that," I responded walking him toward the door.

"Well, what about Saturday? We could go watch a movie and then have dinner?"

"What, you're not making me dinner?" I asked acting astonished.

"I would if I could cook, but sadly I'm lacking in the culinary field. I can make a mean pot of spaghetti, though." He smiled.

"I'd like to try it someday."

"Soon," he replied kissing my forehead. "So Saturday then; I'll pick you up at four."

"Sounds good; I'll talk to you soon." He kissed me again before disappearing down my hallway.

Just as I was closing my door, I heard him talking to someone in the hallway. At first, it was just whispers, but soon it turned into full-on yelling.

I reopened my door and stuck my head out toward the commotion. I could see Edward's back and someone standing in front of him, but I couldn't make out who it was.

As Edward continued to yell, he stepped to the side and I noticed it was Garrett he was arguing with.

I went inside and grabbed my robe before leaving my apartment and running down the hallway. As I approached, both men were in each other's faces and I wasn't sure how long it would be until a fight broke out.

Garrett saw me coming as he was saying something to Edward that I couldn't hear. Edward's face turned beet red and I knew he was about to lose it. He raised his fist back and made contact with Garrett's face.

"What are you doing?" I yelled as I ran up.

"Bella, you should go back inside. I'm taking care of it."

"Like hell you are. Why are you punching Garrett?" I asked leaning down and helping Garrett up.

"He said something offensive. Besides, why is he coming over to your apartment?"

Before I could say anything or slap Edward myself, Garrett interrupted.

"I was coming by to tell Bella about my date with Angela and to give her this," he said holding up a bag of books that Angela was letting me borrow.

"Why are you giving her books?" Edward asked.

"He's not. Angela is." I sighed. "Garrett, are you okay?" I asked looking him over.

"I'll be fine. I should probably go, though. Here." He handed me the books and took off back to the elevators. I turned to look at Edward who was standing there looking pissed. Before I said anything I would regret, I marched back down the hall toward my apartment. Edward wasn't far behind me.

"Bella," he said hesitantly. "Bella, I'm sorry."

With that, I twirled around. "Sorry? You punched a guy in my hallway that was bringing something up to me from a friend, a friend that he's dating!" I yelled.

"I know, but like I said before I don't like the way he looks at you. Besides, some of the things he says to me aren't professional…" he trailed off looking as if he was far away.

"Like what? What did he say?" I inquired. Garrett had never said anything to me that was unprofessional.

"I'm not going to repeat it." He sighed running his hands through his hair.

"Why not?"

"It's not important." I could tell he was hiding something from me. I wasn't sure what Garrett could have said to make him fly off the handle like that.

"Well, obviously it is important if it caused you to punch him," I argued.

"Bella, just let it go, okay? I'm sorry about what happened. I get jealous easily. Please don't be mad at me."

"Edward," I said stepping closer to him, "he's just my driver and my bodyguard. And he's currently dating my good friend Angela, so please can you stop with the jealousy?" I begged.

"I'll try," he promised.

"I had a really good time tonight and I hate that this has ruined it." I sighed.

"I'm sorry I ruined our night," he answered looking down.

"I know you're being protective but you don't have to worry about Garrett, okay?"

He looked at me before nodding. "Okay, I'll trust your opinion." He reached forward and hugged me tightly. "I'm sorry for being a jealous prick, again," he said pulling back and kissing my forehead but still hugging me tightly to his chest.

"It's okay, Edward, but please try harder; for me?" I couldn't have him running around getting jealous even if his possessiveness was somewhat sexy.

"Anything for you," he replied as he kissed my hand before walking back to the elevators. "I'll call you tomorrow, beautiful."

"I look forward to it."

_Most other diamonds show more evidence of multiple growth stages, which produce inclusions, flaws, and defect planes in the crystal lattice, all of which affect their hardness. _

As I fell asleep that night, I knew that I wanted to try to be with Edward. I'd grown from being insecure before to wanting to make it work.

And like diamonds, we will have multiple growth states; stages that will bring us two steps forward or some that will take us two steps back, but I knew at that moment I wanted to do that with him.

**A/N **

***Holds breath* So? What did you think? Please R/R! It really does motivate me!**

**Also more on what news Charlie had next chapter I promise!**

**I had 2,300 words written for the next chapter and my work computer crashed… I only salvaged 1,500 words. Sigh. Needless to say I was disheartened and quit writing for a few days, but I'm back in the swing now and will update ASAP! **

**Thank you to my beta coachlady12! Please go check out her stories on her ff site they are all amazing! **2113307/coachlady1

Thank you to my pre-readers: 84Gemma, tff000, and Themys_. They are awesome and keep me sane through this process j/s.

**Please check out 84Gemmas lovely polyvore's for this fic on my profile and her new blog: 84gemma. blogspot. com where she puts all of her awesome poly's she creates for tons of great stories!**


	16. Chapter 16 Weakest

**A/N **

**I just want to start off by saying that I am truly sorry. I never meant to go this long between updates. These last few weeks have been crazy to say the least. Real life has really gotten out of control. **

**I've done a lot of traveling (Vegas, ATL for BD), the kids were sick, and I found out that I'm currently expecting next belly bean. This one has made me extremely tired. More so than the others did that's for sure. Going to bed at 9pm really cuts into writing time j/s.**

**With that I just wanted you to know that I am feeling somewhat better and will be updating as much as possible and as soon as possible. Please stick with me! I fully intend on finishing this story. **

**I already have the next chapter after this one written and I will post it in the next few days. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not a single thing. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. There is no copyright infringement intended.**

The next morning, when I was completing my daily yoga, my phone rang.

"Emmett! How are you?" I answered excitedly. I hadn't talked to him in ages it seemed.

"JB! I'm doing great! How are you?"

"Good, good," I replied wrapping up my yoga mat.

"That's awesome! Hey, guess what? I have some great news!" he proclaimed.

"Oh my God! You got a job?" I inquired ecstatically.

"I did! I start in two weeks!"

"Wow, that's amazing!" I declared. "What job is it?"

"It's the one for Volturi. They even gave me more than I requested! How awesome is that?"

It _was_ awesome. Volturi was a well-renowned company that assisted on all of the major civil engineering projects in Chicago.

"That is awesome, Em! How does Rose feel about it?" I asked entering the kitchen and grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge.

"She's thrilled. You know she's busy with her last year so not having me slumming around the apartment will help." He laughed. "Besides we'll see each other every chance we get and then she'll be out here after she graduates."

"Emmett, this is really exciting!"

"Well, I do have a favor to ask of you…" he mumbled.

"What's that?" I asked curiously.

"Could I stay with you until I find a place? I don't think two weeks will be enough time to…"

"Emmett, you don't even have to ask!" I cut in. "Of course, you can stay with me. You know I have plenty of room."

"Thanks, JB! Well, I got to run, but I'll call you soon with more details, okay?"

"Okay, sounds like a plan. Give my love to Rose!"

"I will!" he exclaimed before hanging up.

I couldn't help but bounce around the room after our conversation. I couldn't believe that all of my best friends would be living in Chicago. It was more than I could ask for.

After I showered, I went to my dresser for my favorite set of underwear. I wasn't exactly sure what would happen between Edward and me tonight, but I wanted to be prepared. As I searched through my chest, I couldn't find my red and black panty set anywhere.

"I know I just washed them…" I mumbled searching through and pulling everything out. Finally, after searching through everything I owned, I settled on my navy blue set. My red panty set was nowhere in sight. "Maybe I left them in the laundry room…" I stated pulling on my underwear.

After donning my sexy underwear, I decided it was time to make some breakfast. Bypassing clothes, I threw on by favorite silky robe and put my hair up in a wet, messy bun. There was nothing wrong with feeling sexy in your own home, right? I went to the kitchen and began pulling supplies from the fridge to make some scrambled eggs.

As I was placing all of the ingredients out on the counter, there was a knock on my door. Thinking that perhaps it could Edward surprising me, I wiped my hands off on a dish towel, fixed my hair a bit, and ran over to the door. Swinging it open I found Garrett standing there, not Edward. I tried my best to hide my disappointment.

"Hi, Bella," he said shyly looking down.

"Um, hi, Garrett," I said bewildered, pulling my robe closer around me and crossing my arms over my chest.

"Hey, I just wanted to thank you for hooking me up with Angela. She really is a great girl."

"Oh, yeah! Not a problem, Garrett. You're a great guy so you deserve someone equally as great," I said, the awkwardness easing a bit.

"You really think so?" he asked.

"Yeah, I do," I answered. As the silence between us grew, I began to wonder why he was standing at my door telling me about Angela. As if he could read my mind, he continued.

"So, I actually came up here to ask you if you would need the car today."

"No, I don't believe so," I answered unsurely.

"What about the rest of the week?"

"Well, I'll have to let you know. I know I'll need it Sunday to visit my dad, but before then I'm really not sure."

"So, no hot date on Saturday?" he inquired. Before I could question why he was asking he began to laugh lightly. "I'm sure you do so I'm not sure why I'm asking."

"Actually, I do, so I definitely won't need the car. Edward will pick me up."

His face lit up. "So you wouldn't mind if I had Saturday night off then?"

"Oh no, not at all!" I proclaimed, the awkwardness melting as I became happy thinking he was getting along so well with Angela.

"Okay, well if you need the car at all this week you'll have to call my cell phone. It's the easiest way to get me lately." I was confused. Usually, I called down to the front desk for the car, but maybe this was something new. "I'll be off a little bit more now, but nothing that can't be changed if you need me."

"Oh, okay. What's your number?"

"Here you go," he said handing me a piece of paper with his number jotted down. Apparently, he came prepared.

"Oh, thanks," I said grabbing it from him.

"Also, I found your keys in the car. I thought you might need them," he said tossing me the keys. "Have a great a day, Bella," he yelled as he jogged down the hallway.

"You too," I replied meekly closing the door behind him. That was odd. How had I not missed my keys all this time? I must have been really out of it lately.

An hour later, Alice called to remind me of our shopping date.

"Don't tell me you forget!" she screamed in the phone. "I'm almost at your apartment!"

"No, I didn't forget!" I said running into my room to get dressed. "I'll see you when you get here!"

Evidently, I really was losing it…

A few hours later we were sorting through racks a Bloomingdales.

"So, I'm planning on having the wedding in the next three months," she stated nonchalantly perusing through a maternity clothing rack.

"Okay," I responded as I looked through another rack. It seemed that she was dealing with Jasper's proposal better than she had been before.

"And you'll be my maid of honor," she said stopping at a top, eyeing the price.

"Really?" I asked looking at her for confirmation.

"Of course!" she proclaimed.

"Ahh, Alice!" I exclaimed jumping toward her and hugging her.

"You know you were going to be, and Rose is a bridesmaid as well as Angela."

"I hate to ask what you'll have us wearing," I mumbled going back to my rack. Alice just laughed and shook her head.

The rest of the afternoon we shopped then had a late lunch. She was excited to hear that Rose and Emmett were moving here permanently.

"I can't wait for us to all be together and for the baby to have all of her aunts and uncles close!"

"So it's a girl then?" I inquired raising my eyebrow at her.

"I know it is," she responded rubbing her belly.

"Bella?" a voice came from behind me.

"Garrett, hi," I said turning around in my seat.

"I thought that was you. Hi, Alice," he said smiling.

"Hello, Garrett. How are you?"

"Oh, just doing some shopping for my girlfriend."

"So, you're getting something for Angela?" I asked eyeing the package he was carrying.

"Yes, I thought I'd get her something before our date Saturday."

"Angela told me she was dating someone new, but she didn't mention it was you," Alice snapped sitting up.

"Alice," I whispered yelled, eyeing her. "Maybe she didn't want to jinx it; that's why she hasn't said anything."

"Maybe," she replied sitting back in her seat.

"Well, it was nice to see you both again. I have to run." And with that he was gone, rushing toward the exit of the store.

"That was weird," I stated turning back around.

"Very. I don't like that guy," she announced.

"Please, you don't even know him. He really is a nice guy," I said defensively. Alice just shrugged and grabbed her tray, heading to empty its contents into the trash.

As we drove home, I told her how things were going with Edward. She seemed extremely happy about the progress Edward and I were making in our relationship. We talked about our wedding some, although we treaded the subject lightly. However, she was apparently ecstatic that I was even discussing the topic at all because all she could do was bounce around in her seat. As we discussed venue options, I couldn't stop the smile spreading across my face. I couldn't deny that I was happy to discuss it as well.

I talked to Edward that evening as promised. It was nice that with each conversation I was learning more and more about him.

I knew now that he definitely worked too much. He often worked after hours and most weekends. When I told him to take it easy, he just laughed and told me he needed to put his time in before he took over then he mumbled something about a business deal that I didn't catch.

I also knew he ran five miles every morning and that he loved to have lunch at Manny's Deli; his favorite sandwich was the pastrami on rye.

I learned that he was an avid reader and that one of his favorite books was _Doomed Love_ by Virgil. I was shocked to find that out because I loved that book as well; it was a close second behind _Wuthering Heights._

The week passed by in a blur and before I knew it, it was Saturday and Edward was at my door promptly at four. The thought of him being so anxious to see me sent chills through my body.

Our date was very first date-ish feeling. It wasn't our first, but I enjoyed every minute of it. We held hands; he took me to the movies to see the new _Red Riding Hood_ and even bought me popcorn. Afterward, he took me to dinner at another favorite restaurant of his, Piccolo Sogno.

It was relatively new, only opening in 2008. I had never heard of it before, but the food was absolutely amazing. I ordered the Margherita pizza and it was to die for; I was in heaven. Come to find out the name of the restaurant in Italian meant _little dream_ and that was exactly what their food was, dreamy.

After filling up we returned to the vehicle and quietly rode to Edward's place.

He had asked me quietly as we finished up dinner if I would like to come back to his place. I had never seen it before but I was excited to go. I wanted to see what Edward's bachelor pad looked like.

I imagined it being very modern yet classic, just like him, and I wasn't surprised when we walked through the doors. It was him to _T_. There was a large, flat screen TV in the living room along with a sectional black, leather sofa. There was a gas-burning fireplace and a completely updated kitchen.

As I walked around, I was in complete awe. It was absolutely beautiful and although it screamed Edward, I knew Esme had a lot to do with it.

"So you don't cook, but you have a kitchen like this?" I asked spinning around laughing. It was spacious and appeared to have every kitchen utensil anyone would ever need.

"Yeah, well, my mom stocked it, so, you know," he said shrugging, smiling, his eyes burning bright. "Would you like to see the rest of the place?" he asked quietly. I nodded, swallowing the lump that was suddenly in my throat.

He led me along the hallway, opening a door half way down.

"This is the library," he said softly. Peeking in and looking around, I gasped. The room was filled to the brim with books.

"Wow, this is amazing!" I said pushing past him and immediately going to the closest shelf. "You must have been collecting them for years!" I exclaimed walking along the wall, admiring his collection. There had to be thousands of books in there.

"Well, my dad started it, but yeah, I've added a few of the books myself," he responded entering in and standing beside the door.

"Well, it's an impressive collection."

"Thank you and if you ever want to borrow any let me know."

"I will," I said smiling over at him before we left.

The next room was a guest room and the other was an office. We stopped at the last door at the end of the hallway and I couldn't help but hold my breath.

"And this is my room," he said leaning around me, pushing open the door. I couldn't believe how large his room was. It was easily the size of the other two rooms put together. It was decorated in black, white, and light grays. There was a large king bed set in the middle of the room and various black and white photos adorning the walls. It was modern and simple.

"This is nice," I stated walking around to look at the photos. I noticed he had a lot of Ansel Adams as well. "I love your photos."

"Thanks. This is the only room I can claim; all the others my mom had a hand in." He laughed.

"Well, she does have great taste, but you did a great job in here."

"Want to see the view?" he asked walking over to the window. I nodded. He pushed a button and immediately the shades went up and the Chicago skyline came into view.

"This is amazing!" I proclaimed walking over. "I feel like I can see all of Chicago from here!"

"It's beautiful isn't it?" he stated walking up beside me. I nodded as he wrapped his arms around my torso. "But not as beautiful as you are," he whispered in my ear. I shivered.

Turning around to face him, I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him toward me. Our kiss started off sweet and slow, but for some reason I felt like I couldn't get close enough to him. I needed him. I wanted him closer. I grabbed the hair on the back of his neck and pulled, causing him to moan and speed up his assault. He grabbed my ass firmly, lifting me up before twirling me around.

Before I knew it I was being thrown onto Edward's large king bed with him following close behind me. I landed with a small "umph" as we parted momentarily. We didn't break for long, however, because soon he was back attacking my mouth.

Hastily, and in between pants, we removed our clothes, only leaving the thin barrier of our underwear between us.

I pulled him farther up the bed, closer to the headboard. As we reached the top of the bed, I stopped to catch my breath, but Edward continued to pepper my body with kisses.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, kissing my collarbone. He made his way back to my mouth and kissed me passionately.

"Edward, touch me," I whispered. I needed to feel his fingers on me, in me, as fast as possible. Without any hesitation, he unsnapped my bra then pulled down my underwear. For a brief moment I felt self-conscious and tried to cover myself with my arms. I hated being the only one undressed and feeling self-conscious.

"No, please don't hide. You're exquisite," he reassured me pulling my hands away and placing them beside my head. He immediately latched his mouth onto my nipple as his fingers danced their way to where I needed them the most.

As his fingers came in contact with my arousal, he moaned. "Jesus Bella, you're so wet. Is this all for me?" All I could do was nod. "You are seriously killing me, you know," he answered biting my nipple as he pushed two fingers inside of me. I groaned at his sudden invasion. "You like that?"

"Mhmm," I moaned.

"Tell me baby, do you like it?" he asked as he pumped his fingers in and out, using his thumb to press my clit.

"Yes, oh God yes," I mewled, my hips matching his rhythm. I was so close.

"Oh my God you're drenched for me, baby. I need to taste you." He stopped his assault on my nipple and dove down to my sex and began lapping at my clit as if he hadn't drunk in years and couldn't get enough. "Mmm, you're so sweet and so tight. I can't wait to be inside of you," he groaned.

I could feel him press his erection into my lower leg and I couldn't help the flood of liquid that seeped from between my legs at the thought of him pounding into me relentlessly. "Mmm, baby, does that turn you on?" he mumbled against my clit. "Does it turn you on to think of me being inside of you? Is that what you want?"

"Oh God, yes!" I screamed as he slowly added a third finger.

"Is that an 'oh God, yes' to me fucking you or to my extra finger, baby?" I couldn't answer, it felt so good and I was so close. "Fuck, baby," he groaned gripping me hard and pulling me closer.

He licked and sucked at my clit frantically, his fingers pushing in and out of me faster and faster. My hips rose up to meet each of his movements and my body began to quiver. Seconds later I began to unravel.

"Fuck!" I cursed loudly as wave upon wave of pleasure hit me. However, he didn't stop there. He continued licking and pumping, prolonging my orgasm. He stopped his attack when my body began to shake from sensitivity. I immediately groaned at the loss.

"You're sweeter when you come," he proclaimed inserting his fingers into his mouth and sucking them clean. I blushed at his admission. "I love when you blush," he whispered reaching out and stroking my cheek. He leaned forward and kissed my nose. Moving to my mouth, he kissed me softly and sweetly. I pulled him closer, wrapping my legs around him instantly. Although I appreciated the sweetness, I needed to feel him inside of me.

"Edward, I need you." He opened his eyes and looked at me.

"Bella, are you sure? We can wait..."

"Yes, I'm sure, so sure. Please," I whimpered kissing along his jaw. He hesitated momentarily before reaching to his bedroom side table and grabbing a condom. Rolling it on, he came back and settled between my legs. He hesitated again.

"I'm not a virgin," I blurted out suddenly, my face immediately turning red. "I'm sorry. I'm not really sure why I blurted that out."

"It's okay," he said using his arms to hold up his weight.

"I mean, I've only been with one person and we only had sex like three times. I mean, I don't even really consider it sex to be honest with you. Usually, I refer to it as time I'll never get back and trust me it wasn't that much time," I rambled on.

"Bella…"

"I mean, it was really, really bad. Like really bad. Actually, he was, like, half the size you are or maybe even more than that…"

"Bella," he said again.

"Huh?"

"I'm not stopping because I thought you were a virgin although I'm glad you brought that up. It's something we should probably discuss." I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat at the thought of his many women that came before me. "I stopped because part of me wanted to wait," he whispered looking into my eyes.

"Wait for what?" I asked.

"I thought we'd wait until I asked you to marry me officially or wait until we got married," he stated.

"Why wait until we got married? Neither of us are virgins," I argued.

"I know, but we'd technically be virgins to each other," he pointed out. He did have a point, but I didn't want to wait until then because honestly I didn't know when "then" would be.

"It's a great idea, Edward, but I don't want to wait. I want you now. I need you now. We've waited long enough, wasted too much time." I pulled him toward me wrapping my legs around him once more, he groaned at the contact.

He pressed the tip of his erection against me and slowly began pushing forward.

"Look at me," he requested. I looked up into his eyes and I could see his emotions playing in them. "I love you, Bella. Please believe that I do."

"I do. I love you too," I whispered kissing him softly. With that he pushed himself inside of me slowly, filling me completely. "Edward," I gasped as he began to move.

With each stroke I could feel his passion, I could feel his love. I pressed my heels into his lower back pushing him deeper and deeper. His body was heavy on mine, but I relished in the feeling. I never wanted him to leave; I never wanted this to end.

He pulled back almost pulling completely out before he reached down and pulled my leg up over his shoulder. He leaned forward and began to rub tight circles on my clit with his thumb. He was so much deeper this way and his strokes were hitting all the right spots. Before I realized what was happening, I began to spiral into ecstasy.

"Fuck, Bella," he cried out as he began to pump into me erratically. "You're so tight and so wet," he groaned. Moments later he stilled and I could feel him began to pulse inside of me as he emptied himself into the condom. "Holy shit," he proclaimed falling on top of me.

"You can say that again."

"Holy shit." He laughed, rolling off me, but pulling me beside him. "That was intense," he whispered kissing my neck. I nodded in agreement as I drifted off to sleep. The last thing I remembered was Edward whispering that he loved me and wrapping me tightly in his arms.

I awoke hours later to an empty bed and immediately felt hollow. I definitely didn't like waking up alone. I looked around the darkened room and noticed it was 2 am. I sighed. It appeared that we'd slept for a while. Rising up in the bed, I saw the light coming from the bathroom. Listening closely, I could hear the shower running and Edward humming lightly. I couldn't help but laugh at him. Of course, he sang in the shower.

I grabbed a pair of his boxers and a t-shirt from his drawer and headed toward the kitchen for water. As I poured a glass, I began to admire his pictures he had placed around. He had so many of his family it was unreal. It made my heart melt. He even had an ultrasound picture of his new niece or nephew on the fridge. The magnet proclaimed him, "World's best uncle." I laughed because I knew exactly who had gotten him that magnet.

As I finished my water, I began to head back to the bedroom when the front door of the apartment began to open. Panicking, I quickly grabbed the closest object I could find that happened to only be a spatula. Realizing I couldn't do anything with a spatula, I hid in the shadows and waited, watching the intruder. I held my breath silently hoping that Edward wouldn't come out of his room looking for me.

As the intruder slid further into the apartment they dropped a bunch of items on the ground and a set of keys on the table. I suddenly wondered why an intruder would be bringing stuff_ into_ the apartment and not taking it out. Then I wondered why the hell would they have keys and why were they throwing them on the table as if they had done that motion hundreds of times before.

As my eyes adjusted more in the lack of light, I saw the figure better. I could tell that it was a woman, a blond woman. She removed her jacket and her shoes, leaving them both on the floor. She obviously felt comfortable enough.

I watched as she headed down the hall quietly toward Edward's room. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. Should I stay and find out who the hell this woman was and why the hell she was coming into Edward's apartment at two in the morning? Or do I bolt?

Without much thought, I chose the latter and bolted.

_It is a known fact that diamonds are the strongest mineral in the world. In fact, they are a ten out of ten on the mineral hardness scale. They are four times harder than the next substance on the list, corundum, which is a variety of sapphire and rubies. _

_Quartz is the weakest mineral on the hardness scale. It is a mineral that can be easily broken or shattered with little to no effort. _

As I snuck of his apartment, my diamonds had long been forgotten and quartz had easily settled in.

**A/N **

**So I hope you liked the lemon! **

**I'll update soon so I won't leave you hanging for long! Girl Scout's honor!**

**Charlie news is in the next chapter, already written. ;)**

**Please read and review if you can! I will try and get to all the reviews this time!**

**Thank you to my beta coachlady12! Please go check out her stories on her ff site they are all amazing! **2113307/coachlady1

Thank you to my pre-readers: 84Gemma, tff000, and Themys_. They are awesome and keep me sane through this process j/s.

**Also please check out 84Gemmas lovely polyvore's for this fic on my profile and her new blog: 84gemma. blogspot. com where she puts all of her awesome poly's she creates for tons of great stories!**


	17. Chapter 17 Loyalty

**A/N **

**Hey y'all! Here's the next chapter as promised. Next one is well on its way! **

**This one is a little short. Sorry about that, but it has Charlie's news so I hope you enjoy.**

**Also all grammar mistakes are my own. I like to tinker. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not a single thing. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. There is no copyright infringement intended.**

I didn't want to find out who this woman was. I didn't want to have this confrontation. Not now. Not after the night we'd had.

I wanted us to stay in our little bubble and knew this woman had the ability to ruin this.

As I hastily grabbed my purse and slipped on my shoes, my mind told me that Alice would have stayed and chopped her head off; however, I'm not as strong as Alice. I never have been.

I could already feel the tears beginning to form. I needed to leave and fast.

Exiting his apartment, I bypassed the elevators altogether and jetted down the stairs. As I hopped into a cab, I immediately called who I knew wouldn't mind a two a.m. wake up besides Alice.

"Hey, Angela, can I come over? It's an emergency."

"Yes, of course, but I'm not home."

I was relieved to hear that. Although I wouldn't mind her company, I really just wanted to be alone.

"Is everything okay?" she asked concerned.

"Umm, I think so. I just need a place to crash for the night."

"Okay that's fine, sweetie. Do you still have your key?"

"I do."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, not really. Can we talk about it another time?"

"Sure."

"Thanks, Angela."

"Anytime."

As the taxi pulled up to Angela's apartment, I threw the driver a fifty and immediately ran inside and right into her room. She only had a one bedroom and I knew she wouldn't mind me sleeping in her bed.

I grabbed my phone from my purse and immediately turned it off. I didn't want or need anyone contacting me tonight.

I crawled into Angela's bed and curled up under the covers. Letting out a shaky breath, I let the tears take me. Who was that woman and why was she there in his apartment? The more I thought of the night the more I began to sob.

We had just proclaimed our love for each other and made love. How could it turn into something so wrong so fast? At some point, I passed out.

I awoke later to someone shaking me frantically.

"Bella, Bella, wake up!" I woke with a start to find Angela hanging over me, looking worried. "Geez, Bella! I thought you'd never wake up!"

"Sorry, Angela. I guess I didn't hear you," I said groggily looking around.

"No shit, Sherlock! You need to get up now!" she screamed hopping off the bed and rushing toward her closet.

"What? Why?" I asked sitting up watching her.

"Your dad has been calling _me_ nonstop because someone decided to turn off her phone! Did you forget that you were meeting with your dad today?" Shit! I had forgotten. I jumped out of her bed and headed toward my purse. Pulling out my phone, I turned it on immediately. "Bella, there isn't any time. You'll have to wear something of mine and I'll attempt to tame your hair."

With Angela grabbing and pulling a brush through my hair, I picked out something of hers to wear. My dad didn't care what I wore, but he didn't like me to be sloppy. After settling on a pair of dark jeans and a dark blue sweater, I pulled my now straight hair up into a high ponytail.

"How do I look?" I asked.

"Passable," she nodded hugging me. "So, some dude named Felix is downstairs to take you to your dad's?"

"Why Felix? What happened to Garrett?" I inquired heading toward the door, grabbing my purse along the way.

"I don't know, but you need to go. I promised your dad you'd be gone by now."

"Okay, okay, I'm leaving. Thanks for everything, Ang!" I said hugging her tightly at the door.

"Call me later so we can catch up, okay?"

"Yes, I'll call you later!" I kissed her on the cheek before I bolted out of her apartment.

I hopped into the awaiting car saying a quick hello to Felix. It was odd that Garrett wasn't the one picking me up, but maybe he was sleeping because he had been out all night with Angela. I really needed to talk to her about that.

As Felix pulled up to my dad's estate, I hopped out and ran toward the door. My dad hated it when I was late. I knew he was going to be pissed. Before I could even reach for the door, it opened abruptly with my very angry father behind it.

"Isabella, what in the world took you so long?" he inquired angrily.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I was at Angela's and overslept." No need to tell him about my visit to Edward's or his blond visitor.

"Well, I'd like to say that it's okay, but you've had more than just me waiting." I looked at him confused. "Hurry up and get inside," he proclaimed motioning into the house. "Everyone is in the den."

Everyone? I was suddenly very nervous. Who was everyone? Was this a business meeting I wasn't privy too? Was I underdressed? Oh God! What if it was a wedding meeting? I couldn't possibly discuss the wedding right now. Not after what happened last night. I wasn't even sure if there was going to be a wedding any time soon at this rate. As I entered the den, I exhaled in relief when all I saw were two older gentlemen, silently thanking God that it wasn't Alice and Esme.

"Isabella, this is Caius and Marcus. Caius is a member of our board at Swan Cullen International and Marcus is my attorney." They both stood and shook my hand.

"Afternoon, gentlemen, I'm sorry that I've kept you waiting," I said taking a seat in a chair across from them.

"Not a problem, Miss Swan," Marcus stated. As they sat down my father's maid, Tia, brought me a glass of lemonade.

"Thank you, Tia," I said as she nodded, curtsied, and walked away. She was always one of the quieter ones.

"So shall we get down to business?" Caius said pulling out a bunch of paperwork from his briefcase.

"Um, what's going on?" I asked looking around curiously. Both gentlemen stopped their movements suddenly and looked over at my father.

"Gentlemen, if you don't mind giving me a moment, I need to discuss things with my daughter privately before we move forward."

"Certainly," Marcus proclaimed before standing up and exiting the room. Caius didn't say a word just sighed in frustration.

"Don't mind him, he's a grumpy old fart," my dad said laughing lightly, turning toward me.

"Well, you have him working on a Sunday, Dad. I'd be grumpy too."

"Well, get used to it kiddo," he said taking a sip of his drink. It looked like scotch.

"Excuse me?" I inquired placing my cup down.

"Get used to the idea of working on Sunday, my dear. Owning your own business will be a hard job. You'll never get any sleep or any days off for that matter."

"Dad, what are you talking about? Edward is taking over the business not me," I pointed out. Had he forgotten that not that long ago we were signing paperwork for him to take over.

"Oh, that's where you are wrong, my dear," he exclaimed.

"Dad, you've lost me," I expressed even more confused now than I was before.

"You see, when your mother was pregnant with you, she had so many dreams for you…" he stood and went to look out the window. I stopped and listened. My dad rarely talked about my mother because the subject was too hurtful for him that I knew immediately this was important.

"As any new mother does, she had so many plans for you, many of which were set in motion way before you were born. Anyway, after your mother died, I vowed to keep those plans alive and see them through."

My dad walked toward me and reached for my hand. "Bella, what I'm about to tell you is the hardest thing I'll ever have to tell you, but I hope you'll understand. It's something that I am not proud of, but I feel it's something you need to know." He sighed and continued.

"After your mother died, I lost it, literally. I couldn't eat, sleep or take care of you. I couldn't do anything. Esme was a huge help and looked after you for me. After she knocked some sense into me, I realized all that I was missing out on by not taking care of you, so I tried harder. That was when Carlisle and I set up a separate company specifically set aside for you take over when you got older.

"What?" I stated completely floored.

"Let me finish. That's when we set up Reanit, which means 'reborn.'" I thought back to the ring I had on the other day from that collection and all the other pieces that I loved.

"I thought that was Edward's family personal jewelry line?" I inquired.

"Well, it is in a way, but it was always meant to be yours. You see, your mother's name in French means reborn. She wanted you to have a life. She wanted you to be independent. She had the idea of starting you a line before you were born, I just continued it for her and named it after her."

"So if I'm getting this new line to manage myself then why do Edward and I have to get married?"

"Your mother used to joke with Esme that if you were a girl she'd force you to marry Edward. She and Esme were practically sisters, you know, so when she found out you were a girl she still joked about it, but I knew deep down inside that it would have made her so happy to see our families tied in that way. We, of course, never decided on it nor even discussed it seriously while she was alive."

"Then why?"

My father sighed turning back to the window. "Bella, I got really sick when you were younger; actually, when I decided on the agreement with Carlisle, I had cancer." I gasped at the knowledge. How had I not known that he was so sick? Before I could ask questions or scream at him for not telling me, he continued. "When I found out I was sick, I was so worried about you and about your getting everything that Renee and I had always wanted for you that I thought it was the best idea. You would get security through marriage and you would get this company. In addition, the Cullen's would be family like Renee had always wanted and Edward would become CEO. It was a win-win situation all the way around."

I looked at him as he explained. I had never really questioned his motives before and now as I stood there thinking about it, I wasn't sure why. I guess the schoolgirl me secretly wanted to be married to Edward, but I didn't know why my dad had enforced it to strongly to go as far as an arrangement. Now that I knew, I was shocked to learn that it was so deeply rooted, that my dad was doing it to take care of me.

"Bella, I went back to the doctor last week. They found another lump."

"What!" I screamed jumping up and running toward him.

"I haven't gotten the results back yet so for all we know is it could be benign, but it really made me realize that I needed to come clean with you. You deserve to know the truth about everything. I've waited too long to have this company get signed over to you. Edward has worked day and night on this business deal to make it right. He truly wanted it to be perfect for you. It's time that you take what is rightfully yours. Everything else will fall into place."

As I studied his features, I saw the man sitting before. He looked a little thinner and paler than usual, but he still looked strong. I leapt into his arms and cried for everything he had just told me. For everything we had lost and gained. As my sobs subsided my dad rubbed my back soothingly.

"Bella, the business didn't look good for awhile, but Edward worked so hard to get it going that now it's going strong. Now that it's a done deal, I'm content enough that you'll be okay financially no matter what happens to me. So the deal of marriage is off the table if you want it to be. The agreement can be null and void if that's something you want. I feel like such a terrible father pushing you into something like this, but I hope you know that I did it with all the best intentions," he vowed.

Standing there, I realized this was my way out. I could get out of the arrangement, take over my own business, and move forward. I could be independent and use my degree. That idea alone excited me. But there was so much more to it than that. I would be leaving Edward, I wouldn't be marrying him. Since I was twelve that's all I had known.

"Well, let's let the gentlemen back in and get this show on the road okay, kiddo? We still have a lot to talk about." I sighed, but nodded.

As my father opened the door, Caius and Marcus entered, but two more figures entered behind them. I gasped to see that it was Edward and Carlisle. Looking at Edward I realized that he looked absolutely awful. His tie was loose, his shirt was wrinkled, and his hair was more of a mess than usual.

"Carlisle, Edward, so glad you could make it! Isabella was running late as well so I just finished telling her everything she needed to know. Shall we get the show on the road?"

Edward looked at me with his eyes full of sadness. As they walked in, he walked over to me and kissed my cheek.

"Bella, it's lovely to see you again. You look beautiful," he whispered his voice strained. He had either been crying or yelling or both.

"Thank you," I squeaked sitting in the chair he had pulled out for me.

"Let's see this beautiful masterpiece that Edward has put together for Isabella," my father announced passing paperwork around the table.

We know that diamonds are given for many different occasions and that they represent numerous different feelings. They can represent love, romance, a sign of wealth, but most of all they can represent loyalty.

As I stared at Edward sitting across from me, I could see the man I had declared my love to last night. As he thumbed through his paperwork, I saw the man he was trying to be just for me. However, at that moment I had to wonder was he doing this for me and me alone? Where did his loyalties truly lie? And was it enough?

**A/N **

***Bites nails* I just kind of went with this... I hope it works. **

**Next chapter is EPOV and the discovery of who the mystery woman is although most of you can probably guess. ;)**

**I'll update soon!**

**Please read and review if you can! I'm still working on review replies from the last chapter.**

**You guys are absolutely amazing and your reviews make my heart happy. xxo**

**Thank you to my beta coachlady12! She has a new fic out and it's awesome! Please go check out her stories on her ff site! **2113307/coachlady1

Also thank you to my pre-readers: 84Gemma, tff000, and Themys_. They are amazing and they help me so much in this process. Not sure what I'd do without them! Also please check out 84Gemmas lovely polyvore's for this fic on my profile and her new blog: 84gemma. blogspot. com where she puts all of her awesome poly's she creates for tons of great stories! 


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